Walter Cook (VC)

As officers fell, two privates led their men through crisis.

Walter Cook was an English soldier of the 42nd Regiment of Foot, the Royal Highlanders, during the final fighting of the Indian uprising of 1857–59. Specialist accounts identify him as a Londoner born in 1834. A moulder before enlistment, he joined the 42nd Regiment at Dover on 25 July 1857 and was sent to India. He was a private, one of the ordinary soldiers whose ability to maintain discipline became decisive when the small force around him lost its officers and senior noncommissioned leaders.

In January 1859, detachments of the regiment guarded river crossings as British columns pursued rebel forces moving toward the Nepalese border. At Maylah Ghat on 15 January, a much larger enemy force confronted a small party of Highlanders. Dense country restricted the use of cavalry, and reinforcements had to be brought from men on picket duty. The infantry were engaged at extremely close range; the official account notes that some were wounded with swords rather than only by gunfire.

The officer with the detachment was carried to the rear severely wounded, and its colour-sergeant was killed. With the company in danger of losing direction, Cook and another private, Duncan Millar, went forward and helped direct the men. Their conduct maintained organized resistance during the critical interval before support arrived. They received the Victoria Cross for the same engagement.

The London Gazette of 21 June 1859, issue 22278, page 2420, praised their "courage, coolness, and discipline" and their conspicuous leadership when senior leaders were down. (https://vcgca.org/our-people/profile/1164/Walter-COOK).

Cook survived the action and transferred to the 90th Regiment on 1 September 1859. He subsequently drowned in the River Ravi in 1864. He has no known grave. His medal group is not publicly held.

Official Victoria Cross citation

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.

The London Gazette of 21 June 1859, Numb. 22278, p. 2420