Squadron Leader, RAF
Born: c. 1907
Died: July 8th 1940
Age at Death: About 33
Swimming VIII 1924-25
Desmond Cooke was born in about 1907 to Dorothy and Harry Cooke, listed at his son’s death as living in Cyprus. While at Brighton College he swam for the 1st VIII, and was also in the athletics team.
On 8 July 1940 his Spitfire squadron was patrolling the area around Dover, after reported sightings of Luftwaffe aircraft in the vicinity, when it was ambushed by a unit of Messerschmitt Bf109s. According to the squadron’s official record:
“Squadron Leader Cooke, who was leading the patrol, took his Section through cloud, and when the rest of his Section emerged he was nowhere to be seen; attempts were made to contact him over the R/T [radio telecom], but he was neither seen nor heard of again.”
It was assumed that his plane was shot down in the encounter.
He is remembered at the Runnymede Memorial to air force personnel with no known grave.