Alfred William "Alf" Cook

Alf grew up living with three generations of his family in Great Warley - his grandmother, father, and his two brothers. He joined the army firstly during the Boer War and after returning to Great Warley he got a job working on the railway.

When the first world war broke out he joined up again and served as a bugler in the 2nd Essex. He went over with the BEF in mid August 1914 and was on active service throughout the war.

He blew his bugle to sound the famous retreat at Mons and also blew it to signal the ceasefire at the end of the war.

In 1968 he recalled:

I had a bit of a time when we first started 'getting dug in' at Aisne. A bit of shell clouted me on the back. I wouldn't have liked to have been near when the thing was fired - no chance of survival!

After the war he lived at Brentwood and got a job at Cramphorns. He died in 1970 at the age of 88.