Edgar Cooling

This name is on St Mark's War Memorial, Kennington Oval, London SE11

E. Cooling (Edgar Cooling)

Service no 269562

Private, Hertfordshire Regiment, 1st Battalion

Died aged 20 on 22 May 1918

Remembered at St Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen, France

British Army WWI Service Records, 1914-1920Edgar Cooling, who died aged 20 of gas poisoning in May 1918, served in the army 2 years and 1 day. He signed up aged only 18 and 2 months. Strong and tall (he was 5 feet 10 inches tall and his physical development was passed as "good"), he would have been welcomed by the Army.He lived with his parents, William Cooling, a police constable, and Emma Cooling, and older brother, Frank, at 85 Alberta Street, Kennington. Edgar was especially unlucky to succumb to the effects of gas - its effectiveness diminished significantly after May 1915. firstworldwar.com estimates that "among British forces the number of gas casualties from May 1915 amounted to some 9 per cent of the total - but that of this total only around 3% were fatal." Nevertheless victims of gassing were severely affected and could be seriously debilitated, with many unable to seek employment once they were discharged from the army. The waning of gas as a weapon of war occurred because of the development of effective methods to protect against it. By 1918 soldiers on both sides were using filter respirators (using charcoal or antidote chemicals).

The use of gas was outlawed in 1925.

The image shows British and French casualties of gassing.

Photo: Great War Primary Document Archive: Photos of the Great War

Information from the 1901 census

In 1901 the Cooling family lived at 62 Morville Street, Bow (Stratford-Le-Bow). William Cooling was a 28-year-old police constable, born in Brixton, Isle of Wight. His wife, Emma Cooling, 34, was born in Taunton, Somerset. Two sons were registered on the census:

Frank Cooling, 4

Edgar Cooling, 3, later remembered on St Mark's War Memorial

Both were born in Bow.

James Frost, a 36-year-old single cabinet maker from Taunton (Emma's brother), lived with the family.

By 1911 the family had moved to 53 King George Street, Greenwich, but were evidently living in Kennington at the time of the war.