Dawlish World War One Project

He may have been with the Territorials before the war as he arrived in France on 5th November 1914 which made him eligible for the 1914 Star. His father received in due time a Death Grant of £5.10s.0d and a War Gratuity of £3.0s.0d, as well as the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
Clarence Henry Crook’s death was reported in The Western Times of Thursday 25 March, 1915:

“Dawlish people heard with much regret yesterday of the death of Pte. Clarence Crook, of the 2nd Devons, who was recently killed in action. His father, Mr James Crook, who resides at Golden Terrace, Dawlish, received the news through a chum of his son, who witnessed the death.”

Clarence Henry Crook was the second son of James Henry Crook and his first wife Alma.

After the death of Alma in the July- September quarter of 1908, James Henry Crook remarried later that year and is shown living with his new wife, Louisa Hamilton (1888- ).

In the 1911 census return, there were two more children, John, 7,(1904- ) and James, 6, (1905-) from his first marriage and Edith Louisa, 18 months, (1909-1993 ) from his second marriage. They were living at Golden Terrace, Dawlish.

Clarence Henry was 15 and working as a Telegraph Messenger for the Post Office.