| Ranville War Cemetery |
| Calvados, France |
Ranville is best reached by taking the D513 north-eastwards out of Caen, and after about 9 kilometres turning left at Herouvillette. Go north for one kilometre and then turn left into Ranville village. The War Cemetery is on Rue des Airbornes.
The Allied offensive in north-western Europe began with the Normandy landings of 6 June 1944. Ranville was the first village to be liberated in France when the bridge over the Caen Canal was captured intact in the early hours of 6 June by troops of the 6th Airborne Division, who were landed nearby by parachute and glider. Many of the division's casualties are buried in Ranville War Cemetery and the adjoining churchyard The Cemetery contains 2,235 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War, 97 of them unidentified. There are also 330 German graves and a few burials of other nationalities.
Buried within this cemetery:
5044858 Sergeant
George Stanley Cook
6th Bn. North Staffordshire Regiment
09/07/1944, aged 37.
Enlisted on 18th August 1926. His trade on enlistment was a miner and he was Church of England. His height on enlistment was 5 ft 9 1/2 ins, Weight 118 lbs, Chest 34 ins, Complexion Dark, Eyes Blue, Hair Black. He was killed in action 9th July 1944. He was blown up by a land mine whilst riding a motorcycle along with Sergeant Major Baskyfield/ Baskyville. On his death he left behind a wife, Eliza Cook and two young children myself aged 9 and my sister Ethel Cook aged 7. He also had two brothers who were also killed in action, Geoff/Jeff Cook killed at Dunkirk, the second brother was killed on the borders of Germany, in a forest, I am unsure of his name, it may of been Ian Cook. I would be very grateful for any information from anyone about my family. I have enclosed a photograph of my father as it was in his soldiers service and pay book, army book 64.
If anyone has information they would like to pass on to Ivan, please Contact Us and we will pass it on.
Image courtesy of Sergeant Cook's son, Ivan Cook.
***
Private Edward Charles Fisher
Parachute Regiment, A. A. C.
12th Bn. Yorkshire Regiment (The Green Howards)
12th June 1944, aged 20
Plot IV A. O. 17.
Picture shows Edward Fisher in the uniform of The Black Watch, his regiment before volunteering for the Parachute Regiment
Pictures courtesy of Malcolm Ford, Edward Fisher's Nephew.
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