HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2010-05-06, Page 28Blyth lost a longtime resident and
its last known veteran of the Second
World War last week when Russell
Cook passed away peacefully at his
home on April 28.
In addition to being Blyth’s last
veteran of the Second World War,
Russell was also a very dedicated
member of the Blyth Legion and the
Blyth Community Church of God.
Russell, who was born in East
Wawanosh Township on August 1,
1924, was in his 86th year.
Cook’s friends and family were
received at the Falconer Funeral
Home’s Blyth visitation centre on
Friday from 7 - 9 p.m. and on
Saturday, from 6:30 - 9 p.m. with his
funeral service being held on
Sunday. A special Legion memorial
service was held at the funeral home
on Saturday at 6 p.m.
Cook’s funeral service was
officiated by Reverend Bob Barnhart
of the London Church of God.
Pallbearers were Jamie Black, Derek
Cook, Kirby Cook, Robbie Cook,
Michael DeJong, Shane Loder and
Josh Albrechtas. The flower bearer
was Kim Watson.
Cremation is set to take place at
Woodland Crematorium in London.
Cook, who had recently been
diagnosed with stomach cancer,
which had spread to his liver, was
able to spend his final days at his
home, surrounded by family
pictures, birds at the feeder in the
window and his comfortable
surroundings and much more time
with his family, his son-in-law Keith
Loder said.
Cook’s time in the Second World
War had recently been documented
in a DVD series produced by Kirk
Scott, after finally breaking his
silence about his time at war, just
under a decade ago.
The series, entitled Veterans
Remember, will soon be featured in
local museums.
For years, Cook would not speak
of his time in the armed forces,
saying the horrors he witnessed were
too painful to bring up. It was,
however, a memory from when he
was a young man, that convinced
him to change his mind.
Cook recalled when he was a
young boy in Westfield and he was
put into contact with someone who
was in the First World War. That
man never spoke about his
experiences, and Cook always felt a
lot could have been learned from
hearing him speak. He thought that
maybe he could do that for a new
generation of children.
After keeping his time in England,
France, Belgium and Holland to
himself, saying they were too
painful to repeat, he was asked to
speak to the students of Blyth Public
School nearly 10 years ago and
accepted the challenge and spoke to
the children.
After speaking with groups of
students many times throughout the
next decade, Cook said he was
pleased to tell his story for the
Veterans Remember series, saying
that in this format, his story could
live on longer and be told to more
people.
“I wouldn’t have wanted to miss
it,” he said in a 2009 interview with
The Citizen. “I believe it was
necessary.”
Cook was wounded twice in his
time in the war and spent nearly four
years in a hospital. He was part of a
group of soldiers who came in after
the soldiers who invaded France on
D-Day.
In 1943, Cook worked on a farm
and when work came to an end, he
enlisted in the army in London. He
said it was an easy decision for him
to make.
He was soon sent to basic training
in Chatham and then went on to
advanced training in Ipperwash.
In May of 1944, Cook was sent to
France. He spent one month
stationed in Aldershot, England
before being sent to France with the
Highland Light Infantry just four
days after the D-Day invasion.
Travelling from Nova Scotia to
England, Cook and the rest of the
soldiers in his division were dropped
down into boats that could hold
about 10 soldiers. Cook called the
trip across the English Channel a
rough one.
Cook’s time in France was quiet
for approximately one month until
they were told bombing would occur
on July 8. They moved out and this
is where Cook was hit, once in the
left leg.
Cook wrapped his leg with a field
dressing and saw a German tank
moving towards him.
This would prove to be a life-
PAGE 28. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2010.Blyth loses its last World War II veteranObituaries
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A true patriot
Russell Cook, seen here in late 2009, passed away last
week at his home. Cook was Blyth’s last known veteran of
the Second World War. (File photo)
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
Continued on page 29