NOAKES, Geoffrey Frederick
Service Number: | NX17653 |
---|---|
Enlisted: | 28 July 1941 |
Last Rank: | Lance Sergeant |
Last Unit: | General Base Depot Malaya |
Born: | Mosman, New South Wales, Australia, 22 April 1902 |
Home Town: | Mosman, Municipality of Mosman, New South Wales |
Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
Occupation: | Overseer |
Died: | New South Wales, Australia, 14 June 1976, aged 74 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
Cemetery: |
Northern Suburbs Memorial Gardens and Crematorium, NSW East Terrace 3 Wall 4 |
Memorials: | Ballarat Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial |
World War 2 Service
28 Jul 1941: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Lance Sergeant, NX17653 | |
---|---|---|
19 Nov 1945: | Discharged Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Lance Sergeant, NX17653, General Base Depot Malaya |
British Empire Medal
Services while POW
Date of announcement in London Gazette: 06 March 1947
Sgt Noakes was a POW in Japanese hands from February 1942 to August 1945. He acted as an operator of a secret wireless sets and also assisted in the construction of such sets from July 1942 to April 1944 in Changi POW Camp.
The performance of these duties was risky in the extreme as if discovered it would have meant a long term of imprisonment or execution.
The work, courage and devotion to duty of Sgt Noakes contributed greatly to the morale of the personnel in the camp.
Submitted 1 June 2023 by Peter McCombe