The RAF Association was sad to hear of the death of Jack Cook, a 96-year old former RAF Wireless Operator who had made a happy home at the charity’s Wexford House for more than ten years. Jack was a former Flight Sergeant who was full of life – mischievous, often singing and with the energy of people half his age. He frequently attended events around the country to tell audiences how delighted he was to be living in the RAF Association’s independent living house in Melton Mowbray – and to recommend the lifestyle to anyone who was interested.
From WWII to Wexford House
Jack was one of the longest serving residents at the RAF Association’s supported housing scheme, Wexford House. He lived there for a number of years and loved living there.
Jack lived a very full life. He volunteered to join the RAF at 18 and had designs on being a rear gunner, but it was soon decided that he would instead be a wireless operator. Despite joining the air force in 1943, Jack did not participate in any operational flights, but did serve on three reconnaissance missions. He flew in Operation Manna, dropping food and supplies to the Dutch people from a height of 500 feet, the missions were fraught with danger, as the German military had not signed a truce, and so they didn’t know if they would be shot down at any minute.
Operation Exodus involved flying prisoners of war from an airfield in Belgium back to the UK, and Operation Dodge saw Jack flying on a Lancaster to Pomigliano in Italy to fly troops back to the UK. Once the war ended, this was not the end of Jack’s RAF career. He was volunteered to go to Egypt to serve as a wireless operator and spent two years over in Egypt, flying to Aden, Ethiopia and Tripoli. Jack had very fond memories of his time in the RAF and wishes he had stayed in. Once he left the RAF, Jack worked in the prison services for 25 years.
On reflecting on his RAF career, Jack said: “instead of bombing and killing people, I helped to save their lives.”
Jack lost his wife in 1998. They had been married for 49 years and it was a huge change in Jack’s life as he struggled to cope alone. He lived in his own house and had a gardener and a cleaner, but the general upkeep was becoming increasingly more difficult to manage. He found out about Wexford House and decided that this would be just what he needed. Jack loved his time at Wexford House and said: “I could not have wished for anything better and I took to it straight away. Since I went for my five day trial I’ve loved it ever since. You make new friends and nothing is too much trouble.
“For anyone who has been retired and just cannot do what they could do at 70, it is just the place. You get three meals a day and there’s no need to spend money if you do not wish. You can join in if you want or if you want some privacy there is a front door on your room”.
Jack’s children originally asked him to go and live with them, but he said he’d always been independent. He added: “It would have been very lonely with them out at work every day. When my son came to visit he said, ‘Dad, you couldn’t have done any better’.”
“The biggest thing I love about being at Wexford House is that there is no cooking involved. Everything is done for you. The hardest thing you have to do is your washing and make your bed! My wife always said to make sure I have a hot meal every day and now this is able to continue.
“The staff are tremendous too. There’s no-one like Mandy, the House Manager. She really looks after the people who are there and goes above and beyond the call of duty”.
