German infantry side drum captured at Morcourt : Private J Cook, 13 Battalion AIF

German infantry side drum with steel shell painted dark green, retaining its original hoops and skin heads (the lower is split and torn) and fitted with a pair of counterhoops made from wood but shod in tin. Five steel tensioning rods with triangular heads are fitted around the shell, riveted to the counterhoops. The lower counterhoop has a pair of lined holes for the placement of the snares which attach to a steel snare hook. A pair of snares are present and appear to be made from twisted sinew. The lower counterhoop also mounts a pivoting heavy wire leg rest assembly, bound with a long strip of buff leather. The upper counterhoop mounts a cast metal suspension fitting with three integral hook eyes, secured to the hoop with three rivets. Tied to an adjacent tensioner is a cast iron suspender with a pair of welded hooks designed to fit the eyes; this is in the shape of a German Imperial Eagle, and is fitted with a swivel mount at the head, attached to a leather strap. Tied to a second tensioner are a pair of leather drumstick frogs designed for belt mounting. One is impressed on the reverse: 'Werk Genossenschaft Berlin 1916 / 18'. The counterhoops retain remnants of the original paint, which appears to have been overall dark green.

Tied to the leg rest with heavy string is a glazed cotton Australian War Records Section tag of the type handed out to battalions in 1917/18, with all details completed and addressed on the reverse to 'Collection Depot, Australian War Museums, c/- Headquarters, Australian Corps'. Details on the obverse state that the drum was found 'near Morcourt' on '8-8-18' by '6488 Pte Cook, J' of '13th Battn AIF'. Comments state: 'This Drum was picked up on the battlefield by Pte J. Cook on the afternoon of the 8th August during the Battalion's advance on MORCOURT'.

George James 'James' Cook was born in and a resident of Surrey Hills, NSW. He was working as a wharf labourer when he enlisted on 3 May 1916 aged 32 years. His brother, 1486 Private Douglass Cook, who had also served in the Boer War, was killed at Gallipoli on 3 May 1915 serving with the 13th Battalion. James Cook was his next of kin.

Assigned to 21st Reinforcements, 13th Battalion, AIF, (service number 6488) he trained at Kiama, where his rebellious character rapidly became obvious. Between 19 June and 19 September, Cook was on charge four times, for absences, and (on 19 September) for drunkenness, possessing 'spiritous liquour', insolence to a superior officer and 'using filthy and threatening language'. This last charge earned him '14 days cells'. His next of kin was listed in his enlistment papers as a friend, Harriet 'Hettie' Coogan. This was later updated to list her as his wife 'Harriet Cook' (although in fact they were not legally married and she already had a husband - Thomas F Coogan who had she married in 1896 and by whom she had a son. He abandoned her several years later).

Cook sailed from Sydney aboard the transport Ceramic which arrived at Plymouth, UK, on 21 November 1916. He trained at Codworth with 4th Training Battalion and his record there set the scene for his remaining overseas service; he was absent without leave (AWOL) for ten days, and forfeited 20 days pay.

Cook joined his battalion on 12 February 1917 and travelled from Folkestone aboard the SS Princess Victoria to France. On 1 May he was found drunk and forfeited 21 days pay. A week later, on 8 May, he was again charged with drunkenness, placed in custody and sentenced to six months imprisonment and the loss of 197 days pay. He was handed over to the Assistant Provost Marshal and sent to Le Harve. He was returned to his unit 'under escort' on 2 August after his sentence had been commuted to 60 days, but by 16 September he was in hospital at Rouen with 'alcoholic poisoning'. After treatment he was again escorted back to his unit (9 November), but disappeared again and was apprehended at Rouen on 22 December 1917. Charged with desertion and escaping whilst under arrest, Cook was sentenced on 31 January 1918 to 15 years penal servitude. He was sent to No 5 Military Prison at Les Attaques. In March 1918 this sentence was commuted to 2 years. The Commanding Officer of 13 Battalion ensured that a note was placed in Cook's Service Record stating that he 'did not take part in the recent successful operations of 4 Division from 25/3/18 to 25/4/18 at Heburterne Sector, and in the Villers Bretonneaux Sector'.

Cook's sentence was suspended on 18 June and he was released back to 13th Battalion. He participated in operations until war's end, picking up this drum near Morcourt on 8 August. He spent a month at the Corps School in England over January and February 1919. He was AWOL for 10 days in February, again forfeiting pay and was hospitalised with venereal disease. He was discharged from the AIF on 28 July 1919.

Cook returned to Australia in July 1919 where he discovered his 'wife', Hettie 'Cook' (Coogan) had been living with another man, Herman Neilson, for two years, even though she had drawn an allotment as Cook's wife from the military. Neilson and Cook first met soon after Cook returned to Australia, but then the couple did not see Cook for five months. He got in contact with them again and he ended up having meals, then staying at the couple's home. All three appeared to be on good terms according to Coogan's son Thomas. Both Hettie Coogan and Cook were heavy drinkers. In late November, Neilson left the house. A week later, Coogan and Cook argued about Neilson while drinking heavily and Cook slit Coogan's throat. He handed himself in to police and confessed to the crime.

Cook was charged at the Central Criminal Court on 17 March 1920 with murder, but found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to 12 years penal servitude with hard labour. Justice Wade in sentencing both Cook and another returned soldier also guilty of murder, opined that had they been civilians, he would have felt compelled to impose the maximum penalty. However, as 'You went away and risked your life at the front. Your duty was to kill, and amid the horrors of war you may have become hardened with a callousness and indifference to the value of human life by daily association with death. In a sense your crimes may be described as war products. When our soldiers return to us they must make an effort to conform to the rules and conditions of civil life.' Cook was released in 1929.

In September 1937 Cook set fire to a South Brisbane boarding house with eight people sleeping in it. He had been staying there a few months and the fire was in retaliation to being threatened with the police and being thrown out of the house after he tried to interfere with a domestic fight between the owners. Fortunately the fire it was spotted in time and little damage occurred. Cook was arrested but claimed his memory went blank at times and he could not recall setting the fire. He was sentenced to four years jail with hard labour. Some of press reports blamed his behaviour on his war service.

Cook died Sydney on 30 May, 1962.

• Australian War Records Section label for German infantry side drum captured at Morcourt : Private J Cook, 13 Battalion AIF