Bryan Edward Cooke (1910 - 1991)

Ancestors

Biography

Bryan Edward Cooke was born on 16th April 1910 in St Kilda, Victoria, Australia. He was the son of Philip Bryan Cooke and Florence Leamy. ^[1]

Bryan married Margaret Hiskens in 1933 in Victoria. ^[2] The marriage ended at some point during the Second World War with divorce being finalised in 1945. They had one daughter:

• Robin May (1936-); married Michael Threlfall, son of M M Threlfall, in 1956 ^[3] (divorced 1960) and Bruce Arthur Rickard in 1961 (divorced 1983). In 2003 she was living at Ganamead, Rocks Crossing, Mount George, New South Wales. Robin had four sons: ^[4]
  • Philip Threlfall (1957-),
  • Samuel Bruce Rickard (1962-)
  • James Arthur Rickard (1963-)
  • Nicholas Lancelot Rickard (1965-)

On 9th December 1939 Bryan was commissioned in the Second Australian Imperial Force. ^[5] He was appointed 16th Platoon Commander, D Company, 2/1st Australian Infantry Battalion and served in that role in the battalion's first campaign, in Libya, capturing the towns of Bardia and Tobruk in January 1941. In March that year the entire 6th Division re-deployed to Greece and to Crete, whereupon some 500 members of the 2/1st were captured by the Germans in May when they ran out of ammunition, medical gear and rations, and were overrun.

He became a prisoner-of-war, held in Oflag X-C Lübeck, northern Germany, Oflag VI-B southwest of the village of Dössel, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and then Oflag VII-B Eichstätt, Bavaria. ^[6] After being liberated by the US Army on 16th April 1945 and repatriated to England on 14th May 1945, a week after Victory in Europe, he was repatriated to Australia. He was finally discharged from the Army on 22nd April 1947 with the rank of Major. ^[5] Bryan was awarded the 1939-1945 Star, Africa Star, War Medal 1939-1945 and the Australia Service Medal 1939-1945 for his war service.

On 29th May 1946 in Victoria, Bryan married a second time, to June Tregea. ^[7] They had one daughter:

• Elizabeth Alice (19 Jan 1948-); married John Curley in 1966 (divorced 1979) and Robert Michael Drury in 1980. In 2003 she lived in 5 Crampton Court, West Lakes, Adelaide, South Australia. Elizabeth had four daughters: ^[8]
  • Louise Alice Curley (1967-)
  • Amanda June Curley (1970-)
  • Penelope Anne Curley (1971-)
  • Kathleen Bethal Drury (1981-)

Aged 81 years, Bryan passed away on 2nd July 1991 in South Australia and is buried in Centennial Park Cemetery, Pasadena, South Australia. ^[9] He was survived by June, both of his daughters, one son-in-law, and eight grandchildren.

Sources

1. ↑ Victoria Birth Index #15039/1910
2. ↑ Victoria Marriage Index #8146/1933
3. ↑ New South Wales Marriage Index #21749/1956
4. ↑ The Peerage; accessed 17 Apr 2022
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Department of Veterans' Affairs nominal roll: VX7596 Lieutenant Bryan Edward Cooke; accessed 27 May 2021
6. ↑ Australian War Memorial recovered prisoners of war roll: VX7596 Lieutenant Bryan Edward Cooke; accessed 17 Apr 2022
7. ↑ Victoria Marriage Index #11740/1946
8. ↑ The peerage; accessed 17 Apr 2022
9. ↑ Australian Cemeteries Index; accessed 17 Apr 2022

• Bryan Edward Cooke (The Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial, https://www.powmemorialballarat.com.au/ : accessed 16 Mar 2024)