| Places | |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | AWM2016.30.58 |
| Collection number | PR82/136 |
| Collection type | Digitised Collection |
| Record type | File |
| Item count | 1 |
| Object type | Diary |
| Physical description | 114 Image/s captured |
| Maker |
Cook, George Sydney |
| Date made | 1914; 1982 |
| Conflict |
First World War, 1914-1918 |
| Copying Provisions | Digital format and content protected by copyright. |
Diary of George Sydney Cook, 1914
Description
Photocopy of the First World War diary of Major Sydney Cook, 2nd Battalion. Includes biographical information for Sister Elsie Sheppard Cook and Major George Sydney Cook, compiled by their son Peter Joseph Cook.
This diary covers the period from 21 August 1914 to 5 December 1914. Cook describes the journey on HMAT Suffolk from embarkation at Sydney, on 18 October 1914, to Alexandria. He describes his participation in, and dislike of, court martials, concerts held on board the ship, lectures, including the lecture on 'Transport and Convoys' he delivered on 30 November 1914, and a boxing tournament held on board. Cook briefly describes his wedding to Elsie Sheppard on 19 September 1914,and frequently writes of missing her, and writing to her and their families. He writes extensively of the engagement between HMAS Sydney and SMS Emden off the coast of the Cocos Islands. He later writes of the reports of the engagement in the newspapers in Colombo. Cook describes the port of Colombo, including the architecture, people, and the announcement of the death of Lord Frederick Roberts. Cook has also transposed a number of bugle calls, sketched the deck of HMAT Suffolk, and a map of the route from Sydney to Alexandria, a list of the Australian and New Zealand ships in the first convoy and photographs taken on the journey. The diary ends on 5 December 1914 with Cook's arrival in Alexandria.