Mary COOPER. Nursing Sister 206892 QAIMNSR. Alexandria Hospital, Singapore.
Daughter of Patrick William and Ethel May Cooper, of Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan, Ireland.
She was on evacuation ship S.S. Kuala which embarked from Singapore day before the fall of Singapore to the Japanese. She survived the bombing and sinking of the ship by Japanese bombers of Pom Pong island.
She was rescued by S.S.Tandjong Pinang from Pom Pong island. This ship was also sunk by the Japanese on the 17 February 1942. She survived the sinking by sliding down the ship’s rope into the sea before getting onto a raft. She suffered badly lacerated hands caused by the rope. She was captured by the Japanese and became Sumatra Internee. She later died of typhoid after ill treatment in and Japanese Internment Camp in Muntok 26 June 1945 aged 27.
At rest in Jakarta War Cemetery, Indonesia.
Photograph credited to Monaghan county Museum
Following extract is credited to
http://muntokpeacemuseum.org/?page_id=1705
COOPER Ms Mary from Carrickmacross, Co. Monoghan. (Monaghan) QA Nursing Sister. Survived the Tandjong Pinang sinking 17.2.42. Palembang, In October 1942 she and Turner, Neubronner and Macalister were sent to work in a native hospital, in April 1943, for no apparent reason they were imprisoned by the Kempetai in small cells in the local gaol and suffered great hardship. Released after about six months. Mary never really recovered from this ordeal. Died in captivity 20.6.1945
