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1871659
Lance Corporal
George William Cooper
Known as Bill
1913/03/07 - Born Eye, Suffolk
Son of Alfred and Alice (nee Thurston) Cooper
Royal Engineers
22 Fortress Company
Hong Kong
While stationed in Hong Kong with the Royal Engineers prior to World War II, Bill met Barbara Isabelle Brunette Lord.
Barbara riding ‘Lucky Day’ Bill leading horse- 1939
Japanese Invasion of Hong Kong
1941/12/25 - Hong Kong Surrendered
1942/01/19 - WO 417/37, Casualty List No. 724. Missing
1942/08/20 - WO 417/48, Casualty List No. 907. Previously shown on Casualty List No. 724 as Missing, 25/12/1941. Handwritten note: "PD/C L 1594/34". Prisoner of War (Previously reported as Missing)
Japanese PoW
1941/25/25 - Captured Hong Kong
PoW No. 1395
Japanese Index Card - Side One
Japanese Index Card - Side Two
1942/09/27 - Sailed from Hong Kong in the Lisbon Maru
On the third day at sea Diptheria broke out.
1942/10/01 - A noise like air rushing out of a tyre woke the sleeping PoWs and they realised a torpedo had just missed the ship. A few minutes later there was a loud explosion and the ships engines stopped.
The submarine, USS Grouper SS-214 had attacked and hit the Lisbon Maru.
At 7.30pm the Japanese destroyer ‘Kure’ and the Toyokuni Maru took of all the Japanese except a machine gun crew who had their gun trained on the Battened down hold.
1942/10/02 - Lisbon Maru sunk
1943/01/20 - WO417/56, Casualty List No. 1037. Previously reported on Casualty List No. 907 as Prisoner of War Hong Kong. Missing
Died
Age 29
1942/10/1
Died in the sinking of the Lisbon Maru
Loved Ones
Husband of Barbara Isabelle Brunette Cooper
Father of Patrick Charles Hay Cooper and his wife Anne Cooper
Grandfather of Penelope Jane (Penny) Cooper
In Memory
Penelope Jane Roderick (nee Cooper; known as Penny; daughter of Patrick and Anne)
Toby Charles Roderick (husband of Penny)
Hugo Charles Roderick (son of Penny and Toby)
Camilla Olive Roderick (daughter of Penny and Toby)
Daniel Joseph Cummins (known as Dan; Dan served as a Staff Sergeant in the 8th Special Hospital, 9th Division 2nd Australian Imperial Force, in the Middle East. After the War he met and married Barbara and became Patrick’s step-father.)
Robina Ann Cummins (daughter of Barbara and Dan; sister of Patrick)
Memorial
Column 7.
SAI WAN MEMORIAL
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Pacific Star
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War Medal
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1939-1945 Star
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Information
Robina Cummins
Lisbon Maru
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Books by Tony Banham:-
KEW Files:- WO 392/23, WO 361/1744/2, WO 345/12,
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