Career
Cooke commissioned as a probationary second lieutenant on the General List, assigned to the Royal Flying Corps on 24 May 1917, and received the Royal Aeronautical Club Aviator"s Certificate Number. 4825 at the Military School at Ruislip on 16 June after soloing in a Maurice Farman biplane. He was confirmed in his rank on 10 September.
Assigned to Number.
20 Squadron, Cooke"s string of victories began on 22 January 1918 and extended until 19 May. His observers manning the guns in the rear seat of his Bristol F.2 Fighter included fellow aces Henry Crowe, James Scaramanga and Ernest Hardcastle. His final tally was five enemy fighter planes destroyed and eight driven down out of control, with nine enemy planes falling to his pilot"s gun.
He was transferred to the unemployed list on 26 July 1919.
