Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Sherbrook Crooks, a stationary engine driver, born q4 1866 in Bakewell, Derbys., and his wife Catherine Crooks (nee Cooper, married q1 in the Parish of St. Alkmund, Duffield, Derbyshire), born 1867 in Belper, Derbys. John Albert was born on the 19th August 1894 in South Wigston, Leicester, his siblings were, Eliza Lilian, a shoe fitting apprentice, born 1886 and Flossie, a biscuit trade icer, born 1887, the latter two siblings were both born in Belper, Derbys., Sherbrook, born 1890, Frederick, born 1893, Roland, born 1897, Katie, born 1898 and Daisy, born 1900, the latter five siblings were all born in South Wigston, Leics., in March 1901 the family home was at Countesthorpe Road, Railway Street, Wigston Magna, Leics. In April 1911 John was employed as a moulder and was residing in the family home at 134, Countesthorpe Road, South Wigston, Leics., together with his father an engine driver, his mother and siblings, Sherbrook, a moulder, Frederick, a moulder, Roland, a pressroom worker, Kate, a warehouse packer and Daisy, a schoolgirl. The Christian name Sherbrook that was officially registered for both John’s father and brother, appears in some documents as Sherbrock and also Sherbrooke. John enlisted into the Royal Navy to serve a 12 year engagement on the 3rd October 1912, and was allocated the service number K/16515 in Portsmouth, Hants. His medical examination recorded that he was 5 foot 5½ inches in height, and had a chest measurement of 38 inches, his hair colour was light brown and his eyes were blue, his complexion was described as fair, it was noted that he had a small scar on the palm and the surface of his left thumb, he gave his trade or calling as moulding. His record of service began when he joined HMS Victory II as a Stoker 2nd Class on the 3/10/12 – 26/10/12. HMS Renown, 27/10/12 – 18/12/12. HMS Victory II, 19/12/12 – 6/6/13, when he was sentenced to 10 days in cells. HMS Victory II, 17/6/13 – 12/10/13. HMS Sappho, 13/10/13 – 8/12/13. HMS Britannia, 9/12/13 – 20/3/14, when he was promoted to Stoker 1st Class. HMS Britannia, 21/3/14 23/3/15. HMS Victory II, 24/3/15 – 19/5/15. HMS Attentive II (Flirt), 20/5/15 – 26/10/16, when he was killed in an action. The circumstances in which John lost his life were as follows. The Battle of Dover Strait that occurred on 26th and 27th October 1916 was a naval battle between two and a half flotillas of German torpedo boats from the Flanders Flotilla who launched a raid into the Dover Strait in an attempt to disrupt the Dover Barrage and destroy whatever Allied shipping could be found in the strait. Upon approaching the barrage, the German torpedo boats were challenged by the British destroyer HMS Flirt and an engagement broke out. The Germans were able to destroy Flirt and successfully assault the barrage’s drifters, but were once more engaged when a flotilla of British destroyers was sent to repel them. The Germans were able to fight off the additional British units before successfully withdrawing. By the end of the night, the British had lost one destroyer, a transport, and several drifters while the Germans themselves suffered only minor damage to a single torpedo boat.