No.22782527, Sergeant, Graham A COX
Aged 35
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Graham A COX was born on 28th August 1936 at Highgate Hill,Islington (Islington Q3-1936 1B:246), son of George and
Linda COX (née MARSDEN).He had a younger sister Margaret and was known as "George" to his family and friends
In 1952 he joined the newly formed Boys Squadron, Royal Armoured Corps at Bovington Camp, Dorset. Entry age was 15 and trained to take their place as crewmen in the Royal Armoured Corps Regiment once they reached 18. Training was in wireless, driving and vehicle maintenance and gunnery. At the completion of his Boys service he transferred to the King's Dragoon Guards, which became the 1st, The Queen's Dragoon Guards in 1959. Soon after joining his regiment he was posted overseas and 1956 was in Singapore for Christmas. He was two years in the far East, being in Seremban in Malaysia in 1958 and then posted with the Dragoon Guards to Aden. This was where he met Sheila Greenhow, whose father was stationed there in the Royal Air Force. They married in Aden on October 1959, were soon back in UK before moving again to Germany. He became a member of the Parachute Squadron, completing the requisite number of jumps each year. He was given the chance to do freefall and spent September and October 1965 at a French training camp at Pau, which earned him the award of the silver French wings he wore over the right breast pocket. Returning to UK, to married quarters at Tidworth, Hants, now with three sons, he completed two tour of duty in Northern Ireland and was deployed for a third tour in 1917. |
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On Friday 15th October 1971 he was in an Army Ferret car on patrol in Old Park, Belfast. A sniper's bullet penetrated the armour of the turret, hitting him in the head. His wife was woken in the middle of the night by a Commanding Officer accompanied by his wife.She knew immediately it was bad news. After arrangements to take care of the children, Sheila was rushed to Belfast, where she was by Graham's side when he died of his wounds on the 17th, just two days before their wedding anniversary. Graham was buried with full Military Honours at Tidworth Military Cemetery. Eventually Sheila and the children had to leave married quarters and the support of their "Army family". They settled in Haverhill. With the aid of the Royal British Legion, the Northern Ireland memorial Stone remembering Sgt Graham Cox was laid near the War Memorial Cross in Haverhill Cemetery. Visiting Tidworth on the 40th anniversary of his death the family were moved by the fact that a friend and fellow soldier of his Regiment had placed a poppy cross on his grave. Graham is also commemorated on the Northern Ireland Memorial (Parachute Regiment and Airborne Forces)in Aldershot. On 3rd June 2017, his widow Sheila was invited to unveil a new memorial for the Parachute Regiment, Royal Armoured Corps at the National Arboretum and also plant a tree in Graham's memory. My thanks of course go to his widow for her photographs. |
Daimler Ferret scout car The 'wings' worn by Sgt Cox on his right breast pocket are French wings Memorial at Aldershot photo: Commonwealth War Graves Commission
awarded when having jumped using French equipment
