Sergeant William Henry CoolingPrint Page

A tree commemorates Sergeant William Henry Cooling who died at Gallipoli on 22nd October 1915.

Mrs. H. Cooling, of Oxley, has received the following letter from Lieutenant Colonel G. A. Ferguson, officer commanding the 20th Battalion, regarding the death of her son, Sgt. W. H. Cooling. "My dear Mrs. Cooling,— One of the hardest things that I have to do as commanding-officer is to write such letters as this, informing relations of accidents to our brave men. You no doubt, have heard of the death of your dear son Sgt. W. H. Cooling. He very likely has told you that we are in reserve, and therefore, not supposed to be in great danger. Your son was out showing two members of the latest batch of reinforcements where a unit on the left was situated, as I am informed, one of them had a friend in that unit. Unfortunately for them, the Turks opened fire on them with shrapnel, and the three of them, together with an English Tommy, were all injured with one burst. 

The accident happened on Thursday, 21st October. The next morning I went round with his company commanding officer, and saw him. He was weak and low, and spoke to me, and said, 'Don't let mother know I have been wounded in the stomach.'  His thoughts evidently were about you all the time, He was also hit in the arm. He was too weak to say much. The doctor told me that if he had a good rest there was great hope of his recovery. I was greatly surprised to receive a message in the afternoon, that he had passed away. He was buried that evening, 22nd October, in the cemetery attached to the casualty clearing station, No. 16.  He was a dutiful son and a brave soldier, who appeared to live up to his principles. He died a noble death for his country and the cause of liberty and freedom. May God strengthen you to bear the heavy burden placed upon you."
The Telegraph (Brisbane),  24 December 1915. 

At a Sunday school gathering on Saturday afternoon to welcome home Cecil Hoskin, after a three years term of service, bravely done, opportunity was taken to plant a tree in the church grounds to the memory of Willie Cooling, another Sunday school lad who had fallen at Gallipoli. The minister said that it would be found that the Methodist churches, Sunday schools, and parsonages throughout Australia had sent large numbers to the war. Short addresses were given by Messrs. Holland, J. Moffatt, Fielding and Dow. 
Brisbane Courier (Qld.), 27 November 1917.

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