Lost: Cooks and Floods

[sugmac]

I am researching two sides of my maternal grandparents families.
On my grandfathers side he and his four brothers all joined the Sherwood Foresters during WW1. I was told they fought in the Somme and all of them returned to their home, Chesterfield, Derbyshire. I have a copy of a photo taken of them, in uniform, with their parents (date unknown). Their names are:- Samuel Flood b1885, William Flood b1887, Henry Francis Flood b1892 (my grandfather), Arthur Flood b1897, and Joe Flood b1899. I've drawn a blank with FWR. Can anyone give me some advice on how next to proceed?
On my grandmothers side I have a photo of her younger brother, Fred Cook, b1900, taken in 1923 wearing a Naval ratings uniform but he is listed as joining the Royal Flying Corps 3rd Sept. 1918 with the service no. 291584. Where do I go from here?

[Neil Wilson]

Hello and welcome to the forum

I'm confused with joining the RFC in September 1918 as by then, it would have been the RAF (formed 1st April 1918)

The Naval uniform with a flying connection would be that he transferred to the Navy flying service (not sure what it was called then)

[christanel]

Hi and welcome
As you came to the Brit-Gen forums from FWR reading this will explain why.
ancestry.com and Findmypast are the two sites licensed to hold and put online WW1 service records, both are pay per view sites but both have a free library version so your local library may have one of them. However 60% plus of these records were destroyed by bombing/fire in WW11 but what did survive are the Medal roll Index cards and the Award and Medal Records. These very rarely have any personal information so can be difficult to determine which one if any is the ancestor you are looking for.
i will take a look
Christina

[christanel]

The only two Flood soldiers I can see in the Notts and Derby (Sherwood Foresters) Regiment in the medal Roll Index cards are Harry Flood regimental number 35499 and Arthur Flood Notts and Derby (Sherwood Foresters) Regiment, Princess Victoria's (Royal Irish Fusiliers), Royal Engineers regimental numbers 35507, 43216, 327185
You may have to widen your search to other regiments.
Is the photo you have of the brothers clear enough to upload? if too many pixels you may have to edit it or edit to a cut of each brother separately. or maybe just photos of their cap badges.
Christina

[christanel]

This is the Fred Cook you refer to. Is the mother's name correct? I can't access the original image because ancestry now charge extra to access Fold 3 where they have placed these records.
On ancestry
UK, Royal Air Force Airmen Records, 1918-1940
Fred Cook
Age - 17
Birth Date - 3 Dec 1900
Birth Place - Chesterfield, Chesterfield, Derby, England
Service Date 3 Sep 1918
Service Number 291584
Mother - Sarah Elizabeth Cook
Next of Kin - Sarah Elizabeth Cook, Mother

Christina

[christanel]

Just to get a handle on your family. Is this them in 1911 census?
113 Ashgate Rd Chesterfield
Samuel Flood 47 married Tailors Cutter born West Derby, Lancashire,
Samuel Flood 26 Tailors Cutter West Derby
William Flood 24 Tailor West Derby
Margaret Flood 11? 21? Tailoring West Derby
Henery Flood 19 Butcher West Derby
Aurther Flood 15 Tailor West Derby
Joseph Flood 11 West Derby
Reginald Flood 2 grandson West Derby
Mary Ann Flood 47 Wife Married 27 years 6 children born alive, 6 still living but then says 2 have died. Born Chesterfield Derbyshire

So the fred Cook in my post #5 isn't your ancestor because of the mother's name

Christina

[christanel]

I have found your William's service records! Born West Derby Lancashire, occupation Tailor. He was demobbed 10 Feb 1919 Home address 113 Ashgate Rd Chesterfield. Then there was a change of address on 1 June 1921 to Manor Rd, Brampton, Chesterfield.
He joined the York and Lancaster Regiment in 1914 service number 367 and at the time of signing up he was in the National Reserve 1st class and had previously been in the Army Service Corps for 4 years.
Here's his Medal Roll Index card info
William Flood - Sgt.
Regiment or Corps - York and Lancaster Regiment, Prince of Wales's Own (West Yorkshire) Regiment
Regimental Number - 12/367, 81456

Christina

[christanel]

No surviving service record for Samuel and Henry so I can't sort them out from the other 4 or 5 with the same names in the medal Roll Index cards.
But there is an attestation record for Arthur although a little damged. The good piece of information is his father's name Samuel and the address on the 1911 census.
Arthur attested on 13 Jan 1916 at Chesterfield

Medal Roll Index card
Arthur Flood
Regiment or Corps -Notts and Derby (Sherwood Foresters) Regiment, Princess Victoria's (Royal Irish Fusiliers), Royal Engineers
Regimental Number - 35507, 43216, 327185
Christina

[christanel]

There are 18 Joseph Floods in the Medal Roll Index cards so can't sort out if one of them is yours because there is no surviving service record that would give me a regiment and number and none of them are in the Sherwood Foresters.
Christina