Frederick Norton Cook

DSC DSC may refer to: Academia * Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) * District Selection Committee, an entrance exam in India * Doctor of Surgical Chiropody, superseded in the 1960s by Doctor of Podiatric Medicine Educational institutions * Dalton State Col ...

(20 February 1905 – 1 August 1985), usually known as F. N. Cook was an officer of the

Royal Australian Navy The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the principal naval force of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (CN) Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AM, RAN. CN is also jointly responsible to the Minister of ...

. Cook came to be regarded as an expert in the deployment of

landing craft Landing craft are small and medium seagoing watercraft, such as boats and barges, used to convey a landing force ( infantry and vehicles) from the sea to the shore during an amphibious assault. The term excludes landing ships, which are large ...

, following his experience with them in both the

North West Europe Northwestern Europe, or Northwest Europe, is a loosely defined subregion of Europe, overlapping Northern and Western Europe. The region can be defined both geographically and ethnographically. Geographic definitions Geographically, North ...

an theatre and the Pacific theatre. Cook achieved the rank of

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

. In 1940, Cook was appointed as the commanding officer of , a combined forces training establishment in southern England. During 1942 he led landing craft in the Raid on Bruneval, in

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

-occupied

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...

, for which he was awarded the

Distinguished Service Cross The Distinguished Service Cross (D.S.C.) is a military decoration for courage. Different versions exist for different countries. *Distinguished Service Cross (Australia) *Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom) The Distinguished Service ...

. Due to his experience with training combined forces and his success at Bruneval, Cook was recalled to Australia to command the Amphibious Training Centre at ''

HMAS Assault HMAS ''Assault'' is a former Royal Australian Navy (RAN) training centre that was in use during World War II, located at Nelson Bay in the Mid North Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. Formation and history In June 1942, Royal Navy Co ...

'' ( Port Stephens).

References

External links

Naval Historical Society of Australia, 1999—2014, ''On This Day'', 68
30 January 2014.
Navy Office, 2004, ''COOK FREDERICK NORTON''
30 January 2014.
Navy Office, 1987, ''Officers (RAN) personal record - Frederick Norton Cook''
30 January 2014. 1905 births 1985 deaths Royal Australian Navy officers Royal Australian Navy personnel of World War II Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom) {{Australia-mil-bio-stub