Soldiers Died in the Great War states that he was born in Darlington, enlisted at Ferryhill and lived at Tudhoe Colliery. He previously served with the Durham Light Infantry with the service number 5389.
John Robert Cockfield is remembered in Tudhoe Village on T65.02, in Spennymoor on S131.02 and S131.11 and in Darlington on D46.067