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Cenotaph record

Alan Frederick McCook

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Photograph of Alan Frederick McCook, Image kindly provided by Robyn McCook (June 2020). Image has no known copyright restrictions.

Photograph of Alan Frederick McCook, Image kindly provided by Robyn McCook (June 2020). Image has no …

Identity

About

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  • Title
  • Forenames
    Alan Frederick AWMM
  • Surname
    McCook AWMM
  • Ingoa
  • Also known as
    Allan Frederick McCook AWMM
  • Service number
    WWII 4342 AWMM
  • Gender
    Male AWMM
  • Iwi
  • Hapū
  • Waka
  • Rohe
  • Religion

Civilian life

About birth

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  • Birth
  • Date of birth
  • Place of birth
  • Birth notes
  • Address before enlistment
    WW2 90 The Terrace, Wellington, New Zealand AWMM
  • Post war occupation
  • Next of kin on embarkation
    WW2 Mr J.G. McCook (father), 10 Tawera Road, Greenlane, Auckland, New Zealand AWMM
  • Relationship status
    Pre 1939 AWMM Single AWMM

Service

Wars and conflicts

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  • War
  • Campaign
    1946-1948 British Commonwealth Occupational Force, Japan AWMM
  • Armed force / branch
    Army AWMM
  • Service number
    WWII 4342 AWMM
  • Military service
  • Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers

Military decorations

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  • Medals and Awards
    • Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) AWMM
      1946 AWMM
      London Gazette, 13/12/1945 "For long and valuable service on the service on the staff of the 2 NZ Division. Major McCook embarked with the first contingent of troops to leave New Zealand, and since then has served with the division in Greece, Crete, the Western Desert, North Africa and Italy. During this period he had held a number of staff appointments in the division, first as Brigade Supply Officer, later as Staff Captain then DAQMG of 4 NZ Armoured Brigade, and is now GSO III of the division. In these appointments, his initiative, hard work and acceptance of responsibility have always been of the very highest order. During the recent campaign he was appointed GOS II (Movement), a new position on HQ 2 NZ Division staff. In this position he had to cope with innumberable movement and traffic problems which arose in connection with the advance of the division from the Senio to Trieste. This work was carried out under the most difficult and trying conditions, particulary as regard communications when it was impossible to lay line and the headquarters was moving frequently. He repeatedly made reconnissances of roads, tracks, and bridges in the forward areas so that information was always available and plans could be made, without any delay, for the movement of the armoured and wheeled vehicles passing through or following the fighting troops. As his appointment was a new one, he had to form an organisation to deal with the varying problems which arose with the crossing of each river, and his work was particularly notable at the Po and Adige. Over each of these rivers there was for a period, only one bridge in the coprs sector, and initially 2 NZ Division controlled the movement of all traffic both Divisional and Corps. His skill and untiring energy successfully overcame all difficulties, and his work was of the greatest importance in enabling the division to maintain the rate of it's advance." AWMM
    • New Zealand Operational Service Medal AWMM
    • Mentioned in Despatches (MiD) AWMM
    • British Empire Medal (BEM) AWMM
    • War Medal 1939-1945 AWMM
    • New Zealand War Service Medal AWMM

Training and Enlistment

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Embarkations

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Prisoner of war

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  • Capture details
  • Days interned
  • Liberation date
  • Liberation Repatriation
  • POW liberation details
  • POW serial number

Medical history

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  • Medical notes
    Accidental Death, Cause of Death AWMM

Biographical information

Biographical information

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  • Alan McCook was the son of John George and Alice McCook (nee Atkins) of Christchurch.

    Educated at Auckland Grammar School, joined the Department of Agriculture in Wellington, he enlisted with the army at the outbreak of war he served with the Army Service Corps, and returned to New Zealand in 1945. He then sent to Japan and attached to the Headquarters of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force in Tokyo.

    Lieutenant McCook's brother, Mr Keith McCook of Auckland, received the New Zealand Operational Service Medal on his behalf from the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defence at a presentation at the Auckland War Memorial Museum on Thursday, 27 November 2003 AWMM
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Death

About death

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  • Death
    1 January 1947 AWMM
    Age 28 AWMM
    Japan, Asia AWMM
  • Date of death
  • Age at death
  • Place of death
  • Cause of death
    Accidental Death AWMM
  • Death notes
  • Cemetery
    Yokohama War Cemetery, Japan AWMM NZ Sec, Plot C, Row D, Grave 15 AWMM
  • Cemetery name
  • Grave reference
  • Obituary
  • Memorial name
  • Memorial reference

Memorials

Memorial

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  • Memorial name
    • Auckland Grammar School War Memorial, New Zealand AWMM
    • Auckland War Memorial Museum, World War II Hall of Memories AWMM

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Sources

Sources

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Contributors

Command item
Command item
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DateFirst namesLocationRelationshipContact
09 February 2017MichelYokohama, JapanOther

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