Hull Pals Memorial Post. PRIVATE GEORGE FREDERICK COCKERLINE 28042. Born 1886, the eldest of two sons, to John and Kate Cockerline of 8, Eggington Street, Hull (War Pension address). George, known as ‘Fred’ to his friends, was a Dock Worker prior to enlistment and originally joined the Royal Field Artillery (151566) before being transferred to the 10th Battalion East Yorkshire’s in time for the assault on Oppy Wood. He died of wounds sustained during the attack a full six days later, on May 9th, and is buried at Duisans British Cemetery, Etrun. He left a widow, Lily, living at 9, Walgrave Street, Hull. He was 31 years old.
His younger brother Alfred also served, in the Royal Engineers, and he, like his brother, had married before he left in 1915. Thankfully Alfred returned in one piece. Private Surfleet brilliantly describes a near-miss, one which had it been any closer, would have denied us a truly brilliant memoir: “Things came nearer and nearer to us: horribly near, and one shell I shall never forget, try as I may (and I am trying very hard these days). There was a frightening shriek and swish, a thud and then an appalling burst. We were covered with mud and earth; Charlie Gold had flung himself flat, simultaneously flattening my face into the mud. Splinters…great, horrible chunks of red-hot iron…flew in all directions, leaving us uncertain if it was earth or iron which hit us.”
