Editing Walter Cook (VC)

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2022}}
{{Infobox military person
|name= Walter Cook
|birth_date=18 June 1834
|death_date= 1864 (aged 29-30)
|birth_place= [[London]], England
|death_place=India
|placeofburial=
|image= Victoria Cross Medal without Bar.png
|caption=
|nickname=
|allegiance= United Kingdom
|serviceyears=
|rank=[[Private (rank)|Private]]
|branch=British Army
|commands= 
|unit=[[42nd Regiment of Foot]]
|battles=[[Indian Mutiny]]
|awards= [[Victoria Cross]]
|laterwork=
}}'''Walter Cook''' [[Victoria Cross|VC]] (18 June 1834 – c. 1864) was an English recipient of the [[Victoria Cross]], the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] forces.

He was about 25 years old, and a [[private (rank)|private]] in the [[42nd Regiment of Foot|42nd Regiment]] (later [[The Black Watch (Royal Highlanders)]], [[British Army]] during the [[Indian Mutiny]] when the following deed took place on 15 January 1859 at [[Maylah Ghat]], [[India]] for which he and Private [[Duncan Millar]] were awarded the VC:
{{quote|text=In the action at Maylah Ghaut, on the 15th January, 1859, Brigadier-General Walpole reports that the conduct of Privates Cook and Millar deserves to be particularly pointed out. At the time the fight was the severest, and the few men of the 42nd Regiment were skirmishing so close to the enemy (who were in great numbers), that some of the men were wounded by sword cuts, and the only officer with the 42nd was carried to the rear, severely wounded, and the Color-Serjeant was killed, these soldiers went to the front, took a prominent part in directing the Company, and displayed a courage, coolness, and discipline, which was the admiration of all who witnessed it.|sign=War-Office|source={{London Gazette|issue=22278|page=2420|date=21 June 1859}}}}

The pipe tune ''Lawson's Men'' was written about the incident.

==References==
{{Reflist}}
*''[[Monuments to Courage]]'' (David Harvey, 1999)
*''[[The Register of the Victoria Cross]]'' (This England, 1997)
*''Scotland's Forgotten Valour'' (Graham Ross, 1995)

{{Royal Regiments of Scotland}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cook, Walter}}
[[Category:Indian Rebellion of 1857 recipients of the Victoria Cross]]
[[Category:British recipients of the Victoria Cross]]
[[Category:Black Watch soldiers]]
[[Category:1834 births]]
[[Category:1864 deaths]]
[[Category:Military personnel from London]]
[[Category:British Army recipients of the Victoria Cross]]
[[Category:British people in colonial India]]
[[Category:Deaths by drowning in India]]