South Yorkshire Times, March 11th, 1944
With Concert Party
Among the experiences of Sig. Thomas Frank Cook (36), whose parents Mr. and Mrs. A. Cook, live at 177, Doncaster Road, Goldthorpe, as a member of a Service concert party in the Middle East are occasions when the party has performed before audiences which could not understand a word of English, a hindrance only overcome by improvising “slap stick” comedy and employing sign language.
This occurred, for instance, then the party “The Ariels” of the Royal Corps. of Signals were entertaining a Maltese audience. The party in which Sig. Cook is tenor saxophone, and sketch artist, has been giving highly successful shows for several months at military hospitals, desert camps, Services clubs, and halls in the Cairo and Nile delta area. Sig. Cooke learned to play the piano and clarinet as well as the saxophone and played in several dance and military bands in Kent before the war.
He left Goldthorpe, where he played in many dance bands, 12 years ago for St Paul’s Cray, near London where his wife and two children now live. He joined the Forces 18 months ago.