His parents were Arthur Ellis Cook and Bertha Burwood who married in Islington in 1901. He was known from a young age as Rex, perhaps because his father was also called Arthur. He moved to Portsmouth with his family in 1905, his father serving in the Royal Navy.
Rex married Dorothy M Cockram in 1931. During the 1940s he was a Sea Scout leader. He had attended Scout Camps on the Isle of Wight after the First World War with his cousin Maurice’s 1st East Putney. He was also reportedly involved with the ARP, giving him access to the otherwise restricted area along the Hamble and Southampton Water.
After his death, his wife told her grandchildren that he had been a spy during the war, but none of them believed a word of it. She had apparently found some half eaten rice papers with messages written on them. Only when his Stand Down letters came to light after her death did they realise it was all true.
| Unit or location | Role | Posted from | until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burlesdon Suboutstation | Observer | Unknown | 20 Jul 1944 |
Purbrook Grammar School
King Alfred's College, Winchester
Headmaster
Headmaster of Hamble School 1933-1953
