Major-General Charles John Cooke was born in 1811 and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Madras Artillery in May 1827, and became Lieutenant in October 1831. Begbie's Services of the Madras Artillery (Volume I, 1852) states that he was 'On field service from 11 April to 27 May 1837', thereby pointing at active service in Coorg during the Canara Rising. Promoted Captain in July 1845, he was in command of D/2 M.A., Madras Brigade, during operations at Rangoon on 11, 12, and 14.4.1852. Lieutenant W.F.B. Laurie, a Subaltern under Cooke and the author of The Second Burma War: A Narrative of the Operations at Rangoon in 1852 (London, 1853), records D/2's rockets taking part in the assault on the White House Stockade on 12 April, and three days later, Cooke in command of D/3's bullock drawn guns in action in the advance on the Shwe Dagon Pagoda. Cooke subsequently served in the capture of Prome on 9 October, and was promoted to Major in June 1854. He retired as an Hon. Major-General, Royal Artillery, in 1863 and died at Woolwich 'from the effects of an accidental fall' on 26.1.1887.