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Edger Christopher Cookson VC DSO (December 13, 1883- September 28, 1915) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
He was 31 years old and a Lieutenant-Commander in the Royal Navy during the First World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On 28 September 1915, during the advance on Kut-el-Amara, Mesopotamia, HMS Comet, commanded by Lieutenant-Commander Cookson, and other armed vessels were ordered, if possible, to destroy an obstruction that had been placed across the river by the Turks. When they approached, very heavy rifle and machine-gun fire opened on them, and an attempt to sink the centre Dhow by gunfire having failed Lieutenant-Commander Cookson ran Comet alongside and jumped on the dhow with an axe. He tried to cut the cables connecting it to the other two craft forming the obstruction. He was shot several times and died within a few minutes.
References
- Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
- The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)
- VCs of the First World War - The Naval VCs (Stephen Snelling, 2002)