Reginald Arthur Cooksey was killed on 12/10/1944 at Overloon aged 30. He was initially buried in the Cemetery near Th.J. Janssen and later transferred to the Overloon CWG Cemetery. He was a Corporal in the 1st Battalion of the Suffolk Regiment (Service No. 6028727).

Family history

His parents were William John and Alice Cooksey of Ashton which is a suburb in the south west of Bristol.
 
Reginald’s father, William John Cooksey, was born in 1881 in Bristol. In that year he was living at 20, St Silas which is thought to be an area just east of the centre of Bristol. His father (Reginald’s grandfather) who was a potter was also called William John Cooksey, and he had married Betsy Thomas in 1878 in Bristol. By 1891 the family were living at 13, Bright Street which is in a similar area of Bristol. They were still there in 1901. It seems they had five children as follows, all born in Bristol: William John 1881, Arthur 1882, Florence 1883, Maud 1886 and Ernest 1889. In 1901 Reginald’s father William was a stone ware potter, the same as his own father, and Florence and Maud were working in the cigarette manufacturing industry. This would be with WD & HO Wills which had a long history in the Bedminster area of Bristol. Arthur wasn’t present.
 
Reginald’s mother, Alice Jane Norley, was born in 1875 to Josiah James Norley and Mary Emma Norley (nee Spurway) who had married in 1873 in Axbridge, Somerset. Her father was from Langford, Somerset and her mother from Bristol. In 1881 they were living at 2, Clement Street, which again was near the centre of Bristol. With them were four children including Alice. James was a baker. By 1891 they were living at The Batch, Shirehampton with five of their children. This is an area north west of Bristol near the mouth of the River Avon. They appear to have had seven children as follows: Frederick 1874, Alice Jane 1875, Albert 1878, Rosina Kate 1879, Minnie Florence 1882, William Arthur 1884 and Edith Mabel 1888. Frederick was born in Somerset, Alice in Newport, Monmouthshire, the next three in Bristol and William Arthur and Edith Mabel in Shirehampton, suggesting they were having to move round for work.

In 1891 neither Frederick nor Albert were living at home. Instead they were living as boarders in what was described as a Boys Home (Working) at Silver Street, Bristol and working at a Cocoa Factory. The Cocoa Factory would have been Fry’s Chocolate Factory which was in Union Street.
The reason for them being there rather than at home is not known. By 1901 Mary Emma Norley was widowed and living at 8 Hampton Street which is back in the east of Bristol. The same children were still present as in 1891. Alice was a domestic cook, Rosina and Edith were Chocolate Packers, Minnie was a Cigarette Packer and William was a Stationery Packer. By 1911 Mary was at 13 Hampton Street with her son, William Arthur (Tobacco Cutter) and Edith Mabel (Cigarette Packer) as well as a lodger. By 1921 she was living on her own at the same address. She died in 1928 in Bristol.
 
Reginald’s father, William J Cooksey, married Alice Jane Norley in Bristol in 1905. A child, also called William John Cooksey, was born to them in 1906, but he died in 1907. They called a second child who was born in 1908 by the same name.
 
In 1911 Reginald’s parents were living with their first surviving son, William, in 2 rooms at 4 Sturdon Road, Bristol. This is an area in the south west of Bristol on the boundary of Aston and Bedminster. Reginald’s father was still a stone ware potter. However, Reginald’s grandfather was shown as the head of a separate household occupying 4 rooms at the same address. He was now a widower as his wife had died in 1909. Three of his adult children, Arthur, Florence and Ernest, were still with him. Arthur was a labourer/mason while Ernest was a Printer. Florence was still working at the tobacco factory. His other unmarried child, Maud, had died in 1902.
 
Reginald Arthur Cooksey himself was born on 5th August 1914 in Bristol.
 
In 1921 Reginald and his brother William John were still living with their parents in 3 rooms at what was shown as 1 Sturdon Road rather than No. 4. His father was still a potter with Price Powell & Co. which was a long-established stone ware pottery in St. Thomas’ Street, Bristol. However, Reginald’s Aunt Florence was living on her own in 3 rooms again at the same address. She was shown as still single, aged 38 and working as a Cigarette Maker, Forewoman for W D & H O Wills, Tobacco Manufacturers. Reginald’s grandfather had died in 1916 in Bristol.
 
Reginald’s mother died in Bristol in 1930 and his Aunt Florence died on 6/6/1937 aged 54 and still single. She was still living at 1 Sturdon Road at the time of her death and her estate was handled by her nephew, Reginald’s brother.
 
in 1939, Reginald and his brother were still living with his now widowed father at 1 Sturdon Road. His father was still working as a Stoneware Potter. Reginald was 26 and working as a Furniture Upholsterer while his brother was 31 and working as a Solicitor’s Clerk. The pottery where Reginald’s father worked was seriously damaged by enemy bombing on 24 November 1940 and only just managed to survive as a business, finally closing in 1961 having moved to Ashton Gate in Bristol.

Military career

It is not known when Reginald joined the 1st Battalion of the Suffolk Regiment.
 
After the evacuation of Dunkirk in May 1940, the 1st Battalion of the Suffolk Regiment spent the next four years training in the United Kingdom for the invasion of Normandy in 1944, otherwise known as D-Day. They landed on Sword beach on 6th June and were involved in attacking and taking the Hillman Fortress on that day. They continued to progress through France and Belgium, including severe battles which cost many lives at Chateau de la Londe and at Tinchebrai before arriving in the Netherlands, reaching Molenhoek just below Nijmegen by 1st October.

From there they swung round to the south, passing through Mook and Rijkevoort to approach occupied Overloon from the north. The aim was to attack Overloon and clear the enemy salient west of the River Maas in what was known as Operation Aintree. The attack on Overloon was delayed by heavy rain and very muddy conditions until noon on the 12th October. The plan was that the 1st Suffolk Regiment would attack on the right while the 2nd Battalion of the East Yorkshire Regiment would proceed on the left. The Battalion successfully reached a position just to the south west of Overloon that day, but with one officer and 9 men killed (including Reginald Arthur Cooksey) and a further 2 officers and 55 men wounded. Overloon was successfully liberated on 14th October, but at a large cost in lives.
 
The inscription on his grave reads: “Ever Remembered, Dad, Will and Hilda”. It isn’t known who Hilda was. She does not seem to have been a relative so may have been a girl-friend. There is no evidence that he ever married.
 
His father, William John Cooksey, died in Bristol on 20/3/1949 aged 69. He had still been living at 1 Sturdon Road. His surviving son, also William John Cooksey was still a solicitor’s clerk and seems to have administered his father’s will. A notice placed in the Bristol Evening Post by his brother Arthur and his wife Elizabeth indicate that he “passed away after much suffering” and another notice commemorating his death was placed by his other brother Ernest and his wife Florence.
 
Both of Reginald’s uncles (Arthur and Ernest) married. Neither had children of their own but Arthur’s wife Elizabeth had seven children by her first husband, Thomas Albert Tucker, and Ernest’s wife, Florence, had one child from her first marriage to George Harris.
 
Reginald’s brother, William John Cooksey, died on 10/7/1963 in Bristol. He was still living at 1 Sturdon Road. His estate was administered by his Uncle Arthur, shown as a retired tobacco worker.
 
Descendants of the Cooksey and Norley families who read this biography are encouraged to look for a photograph of Reginald and contact our Foundation. We would very much like to put a photograph of Reginald at his grave and on his biography page on this website. 

FindMyPast website: Civil and Parish Birth, Marriage and Death Records; England Census and 1939 Register Records; Military Records, Electoral Rolls
Suffolk regiment War Diary
Wikipedia and Friends of the Suffolk Regiment websites for information on the regiment
Bristol Evening Post 22 and 23 March 1949
Bristol Potters and Potteries Website
Help from Long Ashton History Society and Bristol and Avon Family History Society
 
Research Iwan van Dijk en Elaine Gathercole