Orders, Decorations & Medals - Aust Singles

Lot 5118    SESSION 18 (2.30PM FRIDAY 20TH APRIL)    Orders, Decorations & Medals - Aust Singles

Estimate $500
Bid at live.noble.com.au

BRITISH WAR MEDAL 1914-18. Chaplain. H.S.Cocks. A.N.&.M.E.F. Impressed. Small scratch near top edge, otherwise good very fine.

British War Medal is full medal entitlement.

Herbert Stanley Cocks, Clerk in Holy Orders (Church of England), age 28, born at Sydney, NSW; Enl.30Jun1918 as Chaplain 4th Class (Temporary) with previous service as Chaplain (AMF) to Australian Light Horse at Menangle and Liverpool Camp, NSW; Emb.15Jul1918 with AN&MEF on SS Melusia; TOS Rabaul Garrison 25Jul1918; Appt Censor Rabaul Com Tel 27Jul1918; various trips to locations such as Kokopo, Kavieng, Duke of York Islands; RTA 12Mar1919; Appt terminated 29Mar1919 amended to 11Apr1919 but retained rank of Chaplain in CMF.

Herbert Cocks was educated at Newington College, Stanmore, Sydney, NSW. He worked as a ledger clerk with the City Treasury at Town Hall, Sydney before entering Sydney University. He graduated in Arts and then at the Moore Theological College he secured 2nd class honours in the Th.L diploma of the Australian College of Theology. After this he studied at Ridley Hall, Cambridge University in England. He was ordained a deacon in 1915 and a priest in 1916 by Archbishop Wright. His first curacy was in the northern Sydney suburb of Wahroonga before he applied for a wartime commission as Chaplain and served with the AN&MEF.

In 1919 he was living at 'Olney', Church St, Hobart, Tasmania with his father, W.E.Cocks, Missions to Seamen, Hobart. While there he gave an instructive lecture at the Seamen's Institute of his experiences with the troops in tropical Rabaul. He detailed how the AN&MEF had to not only perform military duties but also administrative duties, supply lawyers, plantation managers, surveyors, customs officers, postmasters and other officials. He also outlined his duties which included four or five services daily, owing to the men being stationed in different places, and also had to discharge the duties of censor, interest himself in the affairs of the men, hospital visitations and attend to voluminous correspondence. He was practically always on duty and it is little wonder that he was physically run down by the time he returned to Australia.

He then went to India and was appointed principal of the Church Missionary Society's High School at Lucknow and chaplain of the historic Holy Trinity Church at Allahabad. In 1927 he went on a world tour visiting England, Europe, Africa and America. After his return he served in various churches in the Sydney suburbs. In 1928 he was Locum Tenens at St Luke's Rectory, Mosman. On 1 September 1929 he was appointed Rector of Holy Trinity, Erskineville and later served as Rector of St John's Ashfield from 1931-1939. He also served as Catechist at St Stephen's Penrith.

In 1939 Rev Cocks was charged with indecently assaulting a 10-year old boy at Sydney Domain Baths on 27 February and the case caused a lot of newspaper reporting at the time. The reverend had been frolicking around in the pool with the boy and was claimed to have shared a towel to lie on after bathing, all in full view of the public. The case was heard before Judge Markell in the Quarter Sessions on 27 April, the judge noting Rev Cocks' outstanding character and charitable works as well as his war service. There were many witnesses called and much of the evidence was contradictory. After just two hours of deliberation the jury delivered its verdict of Not Guilty.

Rev Cocks was a YMCA officer with the BEF and AIF in England and France when he died at Bournemouth, England on 20 August 1941 at the age of 51.