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3515197
Sergeant
Fred Cooke
1902/04/30 - Born, Ashton under Lyne, Lancashire
Son of Frederick and Maria (nee Wycherley) Cooke
Brother to Joseph, Minnie, Harry and Thomas
Occupation Carpenter
1926 - Married Beatrice Ashton
1928 - They were blessed with son Frederick
1921/01/18 - Enlisted
Manchester Regiment
1st Battalion
Pioneer Section
Service
At the outbreak of the Second World War the 1st Battalion Manchester Regiment were assigned to a beach defence role, which entailed setting up of Machine gun posts, searchlights and ant-ship, and landing craft obstacles.
In November 1937 the battalion had become a machine gun unit and in January 1938 with a strength of 980 officers and men the 1st Battalion were transported to Palestine as Jewish Community protectorates. They were housed in Tiberius at ‘The Central’ and ‘Elizabethan’ Hotels. A B C and D companies occupied trouble spots at Mielia, Safad, Sarafand Jerusalem and along the Jordan border.
Under orders on 4th October 1938, the 1st Battalion sailed in the ‘Dilwara’ for the Far East and Singapore. At Port Suez they had a few days in the Western Desert while peace talks took place between Chamberlain and Adolph Hitler. Then back on the ship, arriving in Singapore on the 20th October 1938. As part of the 2nd Malaya Infantry Brigade.
Singapore was subjected to a surprise air attack by nine enemy planes, about 4 a.m. on the 8th December. The Japanese had landed troops at Singora and Patani, Thailand and Kota Bharu in Malaya.
The bombing of Singapore had been concentrated on the civilians of Singapore, and except for personnel of the Anti-Aircraft defences, no troops were involved.
Fighting by ground troops in the early stages was confined to Northern Malaya, the Japanese having crossed the Thailand Malaya border and taken the Kota Bharu airfield. As time went on, and now with very little air cover, the defending troops were steadily pushed back towards Johore, the southernmost tip of the mainland of Malaya, and the fortress of Singapore was under threat.
Many of the families which were stationed in Singapore at the outbreak of the war with Japan were evacuated from the island towards the end of December to the end of January. The evacuation of married families was to Australia, South Africa, India and England. Fred’s wife and son Frederick were evacuated from Singapore on 30th January 1942 on The Duchess of Bedford to South Africa.
All Allied troops were now on the Island and Johore Causeway had been blown up to impede the Japanese advance. From 31st January to 7th February, Singapore was expecting the Japanese to mount an attack, Percival believing the attack would be to the North East of the Singapore Island. " B " Company, in the Naval Base, came in for some fairly heavy shelling. On the 5th February the Manchester Regiment sustained its first battle casualties of the war during an air raid over Telok Paku Beach, which was manned by " D " Company. Two N.C.O.s were killed and several N.C.O.s and men wounded.
On the 8th February the Japanese launched a large-scale landing operation on the West and North-West coast of the island, and soon gained a footing. The Manchester Regiment still remained in occupation of the East coast and awaited developments, and it was not until 10th February that orders were received to move into inland positions on the outskirts of Singapore Town to face the continued advance of the Japanese from the West and North-West. By this time the air cover was to all intents and purposes non-existent, and Jap bombers and dive-bombers continually raided the island, the only opposition they encountered being from Anti-Aircraft positions and all available Light Anti-Aircraft automatic weapons.
Much damage and many casualties were daily inflicted upon the city of Singapore, and fires were numerous. Detachments of the Battalion came into the battle on 13th February in the Geylang area. Casualties were sustained on the 14th and 15th February, on the latter day two M.G. posts of " B " Company being completely wiped out, not a member surviving. Their guns were kept firing until they were completely overrun by the enemy on all sides.
An evacuation took place on the night 13th-14th February, when a specialist party of 26 members of the Battalion and three attached R.A.O.C. personnel, together with a similar party from 2nd Battalion The East Surrey Regiment, embarked at Singapore on H.M.S. Dragonfly for an unknown destination. The Dragonfly, a small river gunboat, when a few hours out from Singapore was attacked by nine enemy planes. The first stick of bombs scored a direct hit on the mess deck, and she quickly sank with very few survivors. Of the Manchester Regiments party of 29, only four were saved.
Enemy aircraft raided Singapore Town at about 2 p.m. on 15th February, causing very heavy casualties and a great deal of damage. Oil storage tanks were ablaze in the Naval Base and also on adjacent islands, and a heavy pall of thick black smoke hung low over the whole island. As the day proceeded, events moved from bad to worse, and on the evening of the 15th February came the disastrous news of the capitulation of the forces in Malaya.
The Battalion marched from Singapore into the PoW Concentration Area at Changi on 17th February, led by the Commanding Officer with a huge picture of H.M. the King on his back, and the men singing "There'll Always be an England” to the accompaniment of an accordion. Altogether a memorable sight, and one which must have completely amazed and mystified their captors.
1942/03/21 - WO 417/40, Casualty List No. 777. Reported ‘Missing’
1943/09/06 - WO 417/65, Casualty List No. 1231. Previously reported Missing on Casualty List No. 777, 15/02/1942. Now reported ‘Prisoner of War’.
Japanese PoW
1942/02/15 - Captured Singapore
PoW No. M-1694
Japanese Index Card - Side One
Japanese Index Card - Side Two
1942/10/27 - Transported overland to Thailand with ‘V’ Letter Party ‘V’, train 3
21st train to Thailand
Commander Lt-Col. J. H. Stitt, 2nd Gordon Highlanders
Work Group 2
New PoW No. II 3160
Thailand Camps:-
1942/11/01 - Chungkai
1943/10/25 - Thailand Burma Lines joined near Konkoita
Soap Carving of Fred made at Chungkai.
1945/07/15 - Tha Muang
New PoW No. 4889
Liberated 1945/09/05
Flown from Bangkok to Rangoon to be shipped to Liverpool.
Liberation Questionnaire written by Fred
1945/10/09 - WO417/97-2, Casualty List No. 1874. Previously reported on Casualty List No. 1231 as Prisoner of War now Not Prisoner of War. Previous Theatre of War, Malaya.
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Pacific Star
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War Medal
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1939-1945 Star
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Far East Medals
Post War
Fred boarded a ship to South Africa from Liverpool on 27th February 1946, arriving Durban on the 27th March. Unsure of exact reunion area Fred eventualy found Beatrice and they purchased a small trading store in an area known as Willow Grange, in the then province of Natal.
Their son Frederick’s wedding to June (nee Gibson) in 1958. Fred and Beatrice are pictured to the left of the newly married couple..
Died
Fred passed away on the 6th of June 1967 being very ill since his Liberation.
Buried at Estcourt Cemetery, Natal, South Africa.
In 2025 Grandson Chris had Fred’s soap carving, which was made at Chungkai, Thailand, repaired by the BBC program ‘The Repair Shop’, which was televised. A fantastic repair as shown above.
Information
Chris Cooke - Grandson
Andrew Snow Thailand Burma Railway Centre
Thailand Burma Railway
Manchester Regiment 1st Bn - Killed in Action
KEW Files:- WO 361/2167, WO 345/11, WO 361/1954, WO 361/2172, WO 392/23, WO 361/1979, WO 361/2196,
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