Private John Cooling The King's (Liverpool) Regiment
The Man John Cooling was born during the second quarter of 1882 in Ordsall, Retford, Nottinghamshire, son of Richard a Railway Signalman and Louisa Annie nee Sissons. He was one of 11 children, Frank born in 1878, Richard, 1880, Robert (1884 - 1966), Beatrice (1885 - 1971), Willie (1888 - 1965), Maud born and died in 1891 and four other siblings who also died very young.
The 1891 census shows John, aged eight living with his family at 10 Pottery Lane, East Retford and by 1901 they were living at 3 Caledonian Road, Ordsall. John having left school and now working as a gardener. Sadly, John’s father Richard died in 1902, leaving Louisa with the children, Willie being the youngest aged 12.
By 1911 Lousia Annie, now shown on the census as Annie was living at 48 Whitehall Road, Retford, with four of her children, John aged 28 and now an Engineering Labourer, Frank, Willie and Beatrice all of whom were unmarried.
At the start of World War I on 4th August 1914 John was aged 32, it appears as though he initially continued with his Engineering work, but in January 1916 the Military Service Act was passed. This imposed conscription on all single men aged between 18 and 41, but exempted the medically unfit, clergymen, teachers and certain classes of industrial worker. Thus, it is likely John was conscripted at this point and enlisted into the 13th (Service) Battalion The King’s (Liverpool) Regiment as a Private with service number 48679. This was a part of Kitchener’s New Army Battalion, (K3) formed at Seaforth in September 1914.
Following his training John was posted to the Western Front, injured in one of the battles and died of his wounds on 7th July 1917, aged 34. He was buried at Grevilliers British Cemetery, Pas De Calais, France in plot V1.D.6.
John is also commemorated on the Retford War Memorial, Market Place, Retford and he was posthumously awarded the 1914-18 British War Medal and Victory Medal.
John’s mother Annie, who was now living at 290 Ropery Road, Gainsborough, was awarded a pension of 15/- a week from 15th January 1918 (approximately £1853.00 per annum in 2024) and she passed away 19th June 1922.
The 1891 census shows John, aged eight living with his family at 10 Pottery Lane, East Retford and by 1901 they were living at 3 Caledonian Road, Ordsall. John having left school and now working as a gardener. Sadly, John’s father Richard died in 1902, leaving Louisa with the children, Willie being the youngest aged 12.
By 1911 Lousia Annie, now shown on the census as Annie was living at 48 Whitehall Road, Retford, with four of her children, John aged 28 and now an Engineering Labourer, Frank, Willie and Beatrice all of whom were unmarried.
At the start of World War I on 4th August 1914 John was aged 32, it appears as though he initially continued with his Engineering work, but in January 1916 the Military Service Act was passed. This imposed conscription on all single men aged between 18 and 41, but exempted the medically unfit, clergymen, teachers and certain classes of industrial worker. Thus, it is likely John was conscripted at this point and enlisted into the 13th (Service) Battalion The King’s (Liverpool) Regiment as a Private with service number 48679. This was a part of Kitchener’s New Army Battalion, (K3) formed at Seaforth in September 1914.
Following his training John was posted to the Western Front, injured in one of the battles and died of his wounds on 7th July 1917, aged 34. He was buried at Grevilliers British Cemetery, Pas De Calais, France in plot V1.D.6.
John is also commemorated on the Retford War Memorial, Market Place, Retford and he was posthumously awarded the 1914-18 British War Medal and Victory Medal.
John’s mother Annie, who was now living at 290 Ropery Road, Gainsborough, was awarded a pension of 15/- a week from 15th January 1918 (approximately £1853.00 per annum in 2024) and she passed away 19th June 1922.
The Story The medals awarded to John Cooling were acquired from the Runway Monday Flea Market in Newark on 20th May 2024.
The single 1914-8 British War Medal without a ribbon was seen mixed in a box with numerous coins, key rings, broken jewellery etc. It was picked out as that, a single BWM and whilst the name was being checked another customer who was searching through the tray, picked out a single Victory Medal, also without a ribbon! Having looked at it he literally dropped the medal back into the tray and continued rifling through the other bits.
The Victory Medal was retrieved and on checking had the same name as the War Medal, a further look through the tray revealed no other relevant awards. It was clear that if left in the tray they would be separated and lost forever as a pair. The stallholder asked a reasonable price and they were purchased.
An immediate check on Ancestry revealed his first name John and that his only entitlement was the pair. A more detailed check on Ancestry later, initially revealed the usual medal index card and rolls together with a pension card, showing an Annie Cooling living in Gainsborough and a date of death of 19th June 1922.
It was assumed that Annie was John’s wife and that he had died in 1922 living in Gainsborough. Further checks along this line revealed only that it was Annie who had died in 1922. Further digging found another pension card, showing that John had in fact died of wounds on 7th July 1917 and that Annie was his mother! This enabled his Commonwealth War Grave Certificate and a record of his Soldiers Effects to be located, the latter showing names of his surviving siblings.
It was now possible to cross-reference all the known names enabling the birth and census records to be located and a biography of John’s relatively short life to be compiled. His name also appears on the Retford War Memorial.
It is a form of divine intervention that the BWM was seen at all, that the VM was picked up by someone else and put back into the tray, as it is likely if this had not been witnessed no further search for it would have been made and just the BWM acquired.
Not only have John’s medals been retrieved, kept together and recorded for posterity, but also the memory of a man who served and paid the ultimate price for his country now remembered.
The single 1914-8 British War Medal without a ribbon was seen mixed in a box with numerous coins, key rings, broken jewellery etc. It was picked out as that, a single BWM and whilst the name was being checked another customer who was searching through the tray, picked out a single Victory Medal, also without a ribbon! Having looked at it he literally dropped the medal back into the tray and continued rifling through the other bits.
The Victory Medal was retrieved and on checking had the same name as the War Medal, a further look through the tray revealed no other relevant awards. It was clear that if left in the tray they would be separated and lost forever as a pair. The stallholder asked a reasonable price and they were purchased.
An immediate check on Ancestry revealed his first name John and that his only entitlement was the pair. A more detailed check on Ancestry later, initially revealed the usual medal index card and rolls together with a pension card, showing an Annie Cooling living in Gainsborough and a date of death of 19th June 1922.
It was assumed that Annie was John’s wife and that he had died in 1922 living in Gainsborough. Further checks along this line revealed only that it was Annie who had died in 1922. Further digging found another pension card, showing that John had in fact died of wounds on 7th July 1917 and that Annie was his mother! This enabled his Commonwealth War Grave Certificate and a record of his Soldiers Effects to be located, the latter showing names of his surviving siblings.
It was now possible to cross-reference all the known names enabling the birth and census records to be located and a biography of John’s relatively short life to be compiled. His name also appears on the Retford War Memorial.
It is a form of divine intervention that the BWM was seen at all, that the VM was picked up by someone else and put back into the tray, as it is likely if this had not been witnessed no further search for it would have been made and just the BWM acquired.
Not only have John’s medals been retrieved, kept together and recorded for posterity, but also the memory of a man who served and paid the ultimate price for his country now remembered.
Grevillers Commonwealth War Grave Cemetery, France
Medal Details:
- 1914-18 British War Medal: 48679. PTE.J.COOLING. L'POOL R.
- Victory Medal: 48679. PTE.J.COOLING L'POOL R.
This page last updated 25 May 24
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