Mr D. W. Cocks

Press, 10 January 1987, Page 34

Mr D. W. Cocks

PA Dunedin Mr Douglas Walter Cocks, who had been production manager at the Dunedin Lion brewery and who had a distinguished war record, has died in Dunedin. He was 69. He retired after 46 years service with Lion Breweries, Ltd, in 1979. Mr Cocks was born and educated in Christchurch and started with the company in 1933. In 1941 he joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross as well as being mentioned in dispatches. A citation says he had been on four tours in the

Pacific with 121 missions. He was hit by enemy ack ack fire on three ocasions when attacking enemy targets and was once “forced to ditch." He became No. 14 squadron leader and his unit was “on many of the most dangerous and arduous missions undertaken by aircraft of the R.N.Z.A.F. in the Pacific.” Mr Cocks was given a Government bursary at the end of the war and attended the School of Brewing, Birmingham; Wye College, Kent; and Rothampsted Research Station, Harpenden. He spent time in Scottish, Danish and Swedish breweries.

In 1948 he returned to New Zealand and was appointed second brewer in Dunedin, and later head brewer in Wanganui. In 1953, he returned to Speights in Dunedin as brewer and he eventually became production manager. An active member of the Rotary Club of Dunedin, he was also a member of the Returned Services’ Association, the Brevet Club and the Otago Officers Club. He also served on the committee of the Dunedin branch of the Crippled Children Society. Mr Cocks is survived by his wife, one daughter, and three sons.