William Henry Hook (Service No. 14591295) died of wounds on 1/11/1944 aged just 19. He was a Private in the 1stBattalion of the King’s Own Scottish Borderers. He was initially buried at the Cemetery De Kleffen Overloon and subsequently re-interred in grave I. A. 3 at the Overloon Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery in Overloon on 30 January 1946. His grave inscription reads “Sweetest thoughts shall ever linger round the spot where thou art laid.”
 

Military Career

Given his young age, William will only have joined the 1st Battalion of the King’s Own Scottish Borderers part way through the war so would not have been involved when the battalion landed in France in September 1939 and then took part in the Dunkirk evacuation in June 1940. The Battalion took part in the Normandy Landings on 6 June 1944 and played their part in Operation Goodwood in July as part of the larger battle for Caen. It saw some action at Vire on 9 August but was held in reserve during attacks at Tinchebray. From 20 August to 3 September they had a period of training. During the period from D-Day, they had reinforcements of 6 officers and 91 Other Ranks. From 5 to 16 September they were in Etrepangy where they again rested, receiving a further 30 Other Ranks as reinforcements. It isn’t certain whether William would have been with his battalion on D-Day or whether he was one of the reinforcements who arrived in France afterwards.
 
They then moved quickly past Brussels and through Leuven to support the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Ulster Rifles and 2nd Battalion of the Lincolnshire Regiment as they crossed the Meuse Escault Canal and on into Belgium and the Netherlands, reaching Milheeze on 28 September. At this point the war diary mentions that the bath unit arrived and “the whole battalion felt clean again for the first time since Etrepagny”, which was over 3 weeks previously.

On 1 October they reached St Hubert where they were very well received by the inhabitants. They remained there until 12 October. They spent their time training but also had time for relaxation. A soccer match was arranged against the Regiment’s 6th Battalion on St Hubert’s football field. They lost 4 – 1 and the Pipe Band played at half time and at the end of the match. They also had two film shows on the 10th and 11th. The diary notes that they left St Hubert on 12 October after a pleasant stay of 10 days.
 
On 12 October they reached an assembly area just west of St Anthonis. On that day, the 1st Suffolks succeeded in capturing Overloon and took up a position just to the south of the town. The following day, the 1st KOSB attacked the wood to the south west of Overloon and reached the south of the wood, though coming under fire as they reached it. They remained there the following day while the Royal Ulster Regiment and Lincolns attacked the wood further east.
 
On the 15th they moved a little further south and on the 16th continued south, expecting to remain there that night. Instead, they were ordered to take over from the 4th Battalion King’s Shropshire Light Infantry east of Overloon in the area near Smakt, with the companies lining up north to south on the west of the railway. They only took over the position at 1930 hours in very heavy rain with the reconnaissance parties hardly able to see their positions before dark. They remained there until 4 November, often under heavy shelling and mortaring. On the 17th the War diary states that the battalion suffered its worst shelling and mortaring so far. Their time was spent patrolling the area west of the railway and monitoring enemy positions. The enemy were both still in Smakt and across the railway to the east. On 22 October a platoon entered Smakt to find the enemy still present. Only 3 men escaped with two more returning later. One officer and 19 Other Ranks were assumed killed or taken prisoner. During the period from the 14 to 31 October one officer was wounded but subsequently returned to duty, one was missing, 32 other Ranks were wounded, 10 were killed and 20 were missing. William Henry Hook died on 1 November, just 3 days before the Battalion was relieved by the Lincolnshire Regiment and moved back to St Anthonis for a rest period. It isn’t known precisely when William was wounded. His initial burial place was not far from St Anthonis, near Oploo.

Family Background

William was the son of Frederick Henry and Mary Ellen Hook of Warsop in Nottinghamshire.
 
Frederick Henry Hook was born in 1893 in Skegby, near Sutton in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire to William and Catherine Hook (nee Stocks). Frederick was the second oldest of eight children. Between 1901 and 1911 the family moved to Shirebrook which is just north of Mansfield on the Nottinghamshire/Derbyshire border. Willliam spent his life in the local coal mining industry, generally above ground rather than below, working by 1921 for the Shirebrook Colliery Co. At least one of Fredrick’s brothers also worked in coal mining while some of his sisters worked for a time in the cotton industry for Wm Hollins & Co., Woollen & Cotton Spinners at Pleasley Vale.
 
Mary Ellen Reeves was born on 4 September 1897 in Huthwaite, again near Sutton in Ashfield, to Jesse and Clara Reeves (nee Berry). Mary Ellen was the fourth eldest of their eleven children. By 1901 the family were living in Sutton in Ashfield itself. As with Frederick Hook’s father, Jesse spent his life in the coal mining industry, working at the New Hucknall Colliery in Huthwaite by 1921. At least one of Mary Ellen’s brothers also worked in coal mining. Both Mary Ellen and some of her sisters worked in the local hosiery industry before and sometimes after their marriages, employed by companies such as J R Worley & Co. and G. Betts. Along with mining, the hosiery industry was a major employer in this area.
 
Frederick Henry Hook married Mary Ellen Reeves in 1919 in the Mansfield district. They had children as follows: Hilda Lavinia (28/3/1920), Queenie (13/3/1922), William Henry (20/2/1925), Frederick J (28/1/1928), Harold E (12/3/1929) and Doris C (1933), probably all born in Shirebrook. In 1921 Frederick and Mary were living at 24, Cavendish Street, Shirebrook with their first child, Hilda. Frederick was working as a Coal Miner below ground for the Staveley Coal and Iron Co.
 
In September 1939, Frederick was living at 1 Elm Grove, Church Warsop which is just east of Shirebrook. He was working as a Colliery Hewer – Below Ground. However, his wife was not at home at this time. Of his children, all but Hilda were present, though Doris wasn’t specifically named. Hilda had married Cyril Bennett in the Mansfield Area in 1938 but was living just a few doors away in the same street. William Henry was working as a grocer’s errand boy. Queenie was acting as their Housekeeper. It appears that Mary Ellen Hook was a patient in the Nottinghamshire County Mental Hospital at Radcliffe on Trent at this time. Queenie went on to marry Harold Taylor in 1942.
 
Mary E Hook died in 1948 aged 51 in tragic circumstances. An article in the Nottingham Journal of 14 July 1948 relates the story:
“Warsop Wife’s Suicide: A verdict of suicide by coal gas poisoning whilst the balance of mind was disturbed, was returned yesterday at an inquest on Mary Ellen Hook (51) of 5 Titchfield Street, Warsop, who on Wednesday was found dead in the kitchen of the house with a jacket over her head and the gas ring jet turned on. She was found by her son in law, Harold Taylor. It was stated that her husband, Frederick Thomas[ sic] Hook had been ill for a considerable time and this had affected her mind.”
 
Not only did she appear to be in a fragile state of mind in 1939, she had also lost her son in the war and had to look after a husband who was ill. Clearly, the pressure became just too much for her.
 
Frederick H Hook himself died in 1956, aged 63, in the Mansfield district.
 
Hilda, Queenie and Doris all married and had children and grandchildren, many of whom live in the same general area today. It is thought that Frederick died unmarried in 1995 and it is less certain what happened to Harold.

From FindMyPast website: Civil and Parish Birth, Marriage and Death Records; England Census and 1939 Register Records; Military Records, Electoral Rolls
1st Battalion KOSB War Diary
Nottingham Journal dated 14/7/1948

Portrait photograph displayed during the ‘Poppy Gang’ in Warsop for Remembrance Day 2025. We hope to get in touch with the person who placed the photograph of William.
 
Research Elaine Gathercole