Sergeant Bernard Cocks

 

Sergeant Bernard Cocks was unknown to me until I saw his name on the new Perth Korean War Memorial.  His name isn’t on the RSL list of West Australians who died in the Korean War nor on the State War Memorial.

But a quick search on TROVE showed me that Cocks died a hero’s death when he sacrificed his life to save wounded comrades in May 1953.  For this he was Mentioned in Dispatches.


Headlines from Kalgoorlie Miner, 21 May 1953, article on p. 7
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article256917675


Cocks was born in Collie in 1921 and grew up in North Perth.[i], but his place of association was Balgowlah in Sydney which would explain why his name is on the Manly War Memorial and the Manly Library has a factsheet on his war service. His mother was still living in North Perth at the time of his death.

Cocks was one of nine children and the second of four sons of Mr. and Mrs. K. Cocks of North Perth.  He enlisted for service in World War II in Claremont in January 1941 and joined the 1st Australian Parachute Battalion in 1943.  He was discharged from service in 1946 and reenlisted for service in Korea in September 1950, when he was 29 years old. I heard a story from the sister of a family friend of Cocks, who tried to talk him out of reenlisting – saying he came home safely from the last war and not to risk fate by going to war again.

Cocks was wounded during his first tour of service in Korea in November 1951 and returned to Australia, before volunteering for a second tour of service, arriving back in Korea in October 1952.[ii]

The 3rd Battalion’s Unit Diaries tell how Cocks met his fate on 17 May 1953.  At 14:50 Sergeant Cocks WIA by incoming mortar. Stayed on duty. Heavy mortar fire continued. Sergeant Cocks (previously WIA in the afternoon) was KIA when attempting to recover wounded personnel from exposed positions. 9 shells and 86 mortars came in during this period.[iii]

The letter written to his family after his death by Lieutenant Yacopetti and reported on by the West Australian contains more details of what happened on that day. [iv]   "I am all right sir, let us get the wounded out," were the last words of Sgt. Bernard Cocks, of Perth, before a mortar bomb brought him a hero's death. According to this report Cocks rushed down to attempt to get to the wounded without putting on his armoured vest, which may have saved his life. His platoon commander described him as the best platoon sergeant in the battalion.

Photo of Cock's grave in the UN Memorial Cemetery in Busan, Korea, 1953.       
https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1214845

I was reminded again that the Korean War is still the forgotten war when I discovered that the Australian War Memorial had Cock’s first names incorrect on their Honour’s Page. I have since corresponded with the Australian War Memorial and have been assured that Sergeant Cock’s name will be correct on the Australian War Memorial’s upgraded database.

 Endnotes 

[i] Sergeant Bernard Kevin Cocks MID. https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/617274. Accessed 8 August 2023. 

[ii] KOREA HERO DIES (1953, May 24). Truth (Brisbane, Qld: 1900 - 1954), p. 40. Retrieved August 10, 2023, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article202690946.

 [iii] AWM 85 Australian Army Unit War Diaries Korea. Item 4/53. 3 Battalion The Royal Australian Regiment. May 1953. https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1370569. Accessed 8 August 2023.

 [iv] Perth Man Dies Bravely (1953, June 13). The West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954), p. 14. Retrieved August 10, 2023, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article49213667.

 

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