93 The Royal Canadian Legion MANITOBA & NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO COMMAND www.mbnwo.ca COOK, William Jefferson “Bill” WWII Bill was born on September 11, 1917, to William and Edith (Adams) Cook in Glenella, Manitoba. The family moved to Riding Mountain, Manitoba in the spring of 1919. He attended Roskeen school in 1923 and later went to Riding Mountain, Tobarmore, and then to Glenholme. In 1940, he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force and was posted to Brandon, Carberry, and then St. Thomas, Ontario where he trained in mechanics. After a posting in Rivers, Bill was sent overseas in 1942. He was in the 411 Squadron, which was a mobile, spit-fire fighter squadron who followed the invasion, supporting the army. Leading Aircraftman Bill Cook was discharged in December 1945. On October 16, 1943, Bill married Phyllis Davies in Surrey, England and she immigrated to Canada in April 1945. He was discharged in September 1945 and they moved to Kelwood in 1946. He worked for the Kelwood Waterworks and then drove the school bus until he retired in 1981. He was a member of The Royal Canadian Legion Neepawa Branch 23. Bill passed away on July 14, 1990 in Winnipeg and was buried in Riverside Cemetery in Neepawa, Lot 20, Block 4, Range 22. COOKE, George Howard WWI George was born in 1893 in Vankoughnet, Oakley Township, central Ontario. He moved to Devlin NWO at the age of five with his widowed father and four siblings. He joined the 141st Moose Brigade in 1916 and was sent overseas in 1917. He was injured and spent 117 days in hospital in England and returned to duty in March 1918. He was released from service on January 31, 1919 and returned to Devlin where he married and started a family. George worked both his farm and for the Department of Highways until 1948 when a drunk driver hit him and injured him quite badly. He spent two years in the hospital. After he was released from the hospital, he took over the Devlin Post Office and was there until he passed away in 1955. George received the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. COOKE, Leonard Allan WWII Leonard was born in 1924 in Devlin, NWO, the second child of George Howard Cooke. He signed up for World War II on July 14, 1943 with the RCN Volunteer Reserve. He was a gunner in the navy on mine sweepers. He served in Canada and on the High Seas on the Avalon, Chippawa, Cornwallis, Digby, Strathcona, Protector and the Griffon. He was honourably discharged from the navy on January 11, 1946. He switched to the Royal Canadian Infantry corps and was sent to Camp Borden and served until October 8, 1952. On December 16, 1950, he was appointed the rank of Lieutenant by order of the “Command of His Excellency the Governor General”. He received the Arctic Star, Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and Defence Medal. After he retired from the service, he went to Grand Prairie, Alberta until his father’s accident. He then returned to the family farm in Devlin. He was a member of The Royal Canadian Legion General Lipsett Branch 99 in Emo, Ontario and served as president of the Branch. He passed away in 1976.
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