Great Trek
Kock was born in Graaff-Reinet the son of Johannes Lambertus Kock and Elsje Magdalena Smit. His father was a Boer commandant in Transorangia during the last phase of the Great Trek. His mother was the sister-in law of former president M.W. Pretorius. He travelled in the Great Trek with his parents and already at the age of 10 he accompanied his father at the Battle of Swartkoppies and at age 13 at the Battle of Boomplaats.