COOK, Hedley William
| Service Number: | NX139928 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 17 December 1942 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 2nd/7th Field Regiment |
| Born: | NEWTOWN, NSW, 19 April 1917 |
| Home Town: | Not yet discovered |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: |
World War 2 Service
| 17 Dec 1942: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Private, NX139928, 2nd/7th Field Regiment | |
|---|---|---|
| 23 Apr 1946: | Discharged Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Private, NX139928, 2nd/7th Field Regiment |
My Pa by Amanda
Pa never spoke about the war.
He was always silent.
I was a young girl in primary school and I knew that he would tell me something about the war.
He told me that he slept with one eye open to keep him and his friends safe.
He told me that his best mate took a bullet for him and saved his life. He asked why he saved him and he said that "you have a wife to go home to, I have no one".
If he didn't take the bullet for my Pa, our whole family wouldn't exist.
I found out later where he served in Papa New Guinea and it was worse then kokada.
Every Anzac Day he would go to March. Every year the diggers got fewer and fewer.
I later found out that I was the only person he ever spoke about the war with.
It was such an honour that he told me what he did.
I'm so proud of my Pa and I could see the pain that would well up when the war was mentioned.
RIP Pa. I love you.
Amanda.
Submitted 25 April 2025 by Amanda Turner