This will show you my search for Andy Cook. I was wrong saying he had died in 1912. There were two Andy Cook!
Andy Cook (standing on the right). This photo was left to us among Aunt Nan's belongings...Aunt Nan's full name was Annie King Murray Robb. They were 1st and 2nd cousins. She bore the same first names as their grand-mother. One of his cousins was also Annie Murray.
There was a naval connection. Andy was from Brisbane. When looking up his uncle Captain George Cook in Lloyd's, I found that George stayed a long time in Brisbane, before doing a return journey to London.
I have found quite a lot about the family in Brisbane. They kept a low profile. They lived at 21 Carl St, Woolongabba, near Brisbane. My friend John Raymond used the electoral roll.
That was another branch of the family: at least three siblings went to Australia. I was blinded by the Woolongabba findings!
The photo is signed at the back: "to my dearest cousin with love from Andy Cook".. I was told that it was not a cadet uniform. The other interesting thing is they appear to be in a uniform which from the insignia, and especially the unit patch, didn't come into existence until after 1915. Thank you Paul.
So, here was the puzzle, I had always thought that Andy was sending the photo:
BUT: Andrew Murray Cook born 11th Sept. 1892 died 6th Apr. 1912 if he had signed the card and sent it to Aunt Nan. I do not have any other evidence of date in the correspondence.
AND: his brother was a soldier William John Cook born 23rd Sept. 1889 who died 26th May 1935.
NOW: Michael Cook from Melbourne says that the father of Andy Cook was John. I'll correct my notes. I thought that John had died in infancy! I had been searching the only branch I knew in Brisbane, Australia.
At last some information about the photograph: Michael says "This photo was taken in 1915. My father and I have seen this photo before in Andy's photo album. Andy is wearing the uniform of the WW1 AIF 29th Bat. Andy won the Military Medal for bravery at the Somme in 1916, the photo may have been sent from France. Andy died in 1974". Problem solved! :-)
Furthermore, Michael Cook says on 13th October 2003: "Today, the Australian National Archive completed the digitisation of Andy Cook's WW1 file. " What very good news!
More good news: 16 months after being able to find Michael Cook a descendant of Andy, I have received a mail from the great-nephew of the man sat near Andy. A relative from the man sat on the picture wrote to me. John Michael Byrne from Newfoundland was writing: " I have been researching the 29th battalion because my Great Uncle Michael Byrne fought for the AIF. My uncle was on a ship that pulled into Melbourne Harbour in 1915 and joined the AIF. My family is from Newfoundland, now a province of Canada, in 1915 a British Protectorate. The gentlemen sitting down bears a striking resemblance to many people in my family. Some of my cousins have thought the picture is of me. We have showed the picture to our oldest living relative and she feels that it is her uncle and my great uncle. "
Now Michael and John are writing and exchanging details about the AIF 29th Battalion. Michael was able to confirm:"I have checked the book "Black & Gold" by Ron Austin. Andy Cook and Michael Byrne were both in B Company of the 29th AIF. More importantly their ID numbers are very close, 512 and 474. They probably stood in the same enlistment queue! ".
Pte Michael Byrne was killed in action on 2 nd March 1917 in France and Flanders.
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