Richard Henry Gook

GOOK, Richard Henry- – – – – SPC 1911

DoB:- – 1896, Bridgewater, VIC

Father:- – Albert Henry Gook, a butcher

Mother:- – Sarah Hannah, nee Redwood

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Service No:– 620

Rank:- – Private, Trooper

Unit:- – 4th Light Horse Brigade

Henry Gook enlisted on 10 September 1914. He was a single man, aged 18 years and seven months. He was five feet, 11 inches tall, with a dark complexion, brown eyes and dark brown hair. He stated his occupation as clerk.

Private Gook embarked on 22 December 1914 from Melbourne aboard the Fortythree. He saw service at Gallipoli, and was wounded on 12 August 1915 at Gaba Tepe, resulting in his transfer to hospital on Malta with a gunshot wound to his left foot.

There was a court of enquiry into Private Gook’s injury, which was assembled at Anzac on 12 August 1915, to enquire into and report on the injuries he received –

-‘Finding: – (a) That No 620 Tpr H Gook was on duty at the time of the accident.

(b) That the injury was self-inflicted whilst cleaning his rifle.

(c) That no blame can be attached to anyone except that Tpr H Gook was guilty of gross carelessness.

Sentence:- Certified by CO 4th Light Horse Regiment that necessary disciplinary action in connection with this matter will be taken on return of No 620 Tpr Gook.’

After recovering from this injury, he proceeded to Egypt and joined the 4th Light Horse Regiment on 11 March 1916. A few months later, in July 1916, Private Gook was admitted to hospital again, this time with a septic thumb. In August he was prepared for his return to Australia aboard the Marama for discharge, being medically unfit. He had tuberculosis in the lung.

Home in Australia, Henry worked as a Real Estate Agent in the town of Mansfield, Victoria. He married for the first time in 1926 at the age of 30, to Kathleen Veronica Poole. He remarried in 1968 at the age of 72 to Marjorie Reid. Neither of his marriages produced any children.

Henry suffered a cerebral haemorrhage and died on 18 June 1971, at 75 years of age. He was buried at Mansfield Cemetery, in Victoria.