New National Armed Forces Memorial, National Memorial Arboretum

Yesterday, the Queen opened the National Memorial honouring the service-men and women killed on duty or as a result of terrorism since 1948, including those who lost their lives in Malaya. My earlier blog has included reference to my brother, a civilian assistant manager on a rubber plantation, who was murdered by terrorists during the Malayan Emergency. I wonder if any survivors who served in this conflict were in the area of the Telemong Estate, Bentong, during May 1950. My brother, Alan Saunders Cockram, was killed when driving his car along the Estate road early in the morning of May 8th. We were told that he was given a military funeral the next day. He was buried in the Cheras Road Cemetery, Kuala Lumpur.

I have been unable to establish which regiment was involved with the funeral and perhaps it was just a local military detachment which happened to be in the area at the time.

Any information or comments would be much appreciated.

If you wish, you can email me at:

sibylphillips@btopenworld.com

PLANTERS MURDERED DURING THE MALAYAN EMERGENCY ARE NOT FORGOTTEN BY US

email: sibylphillips@btopenworld.com

How much do you know about the death of your planter relative during the Malayan Emergency? My brother, Alan Saunders Cockram, was murdered by communist terrorists on 8 May 1950, aged 26. He had served two-and-a-half years of his four-year contract as assistant manager on the Telemong Rubber Estate, Bentong, Pahang, and I have always wondered if his death was registered in England, his home country. Recently I have ascertained that it was not and am now awaiting a copy of his death certificate from Malaysia.

Also, recently I have obtained copies of my brother`s service record from when he first joined the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve during World War II to the time that he was demobbed in 1946. This is very comprehensive and I have found that a mention of his murder in Malaya is entered in pencil on the last page. It seems to be the only record of his death on any official document in this country, but then simply in pencil.

If you lost a relative in similar circumstances, what has been your experience in gaining knowledge of what happened and of what records there are, other than newspaper cuttings?

How did your family receive the bad news and what were the consequences?

It would be good to share knowledge. This can be just a start, even at this late stage! Members of the armed forces who served in Malaya are to get a medal after all these years. How often are the civilian casualties mentioned in anything official?

Sibyl P.