Sex
Female
Status
Unknown
Daphne Cook was born to Marjorie Cook (née Warnes) and John Turnbull Cook in Hong Kong in April 1934. She was one of the great-grandchildren of the Swedish tavern owner, John Olson. As her parents separated when she was a baby, she was brought up by her aunt, Iris Gaby and her husband Cyril, who worked for the Chinese customs. When WW2 broke out the Gaby family were at first interned at the American Club in Shanghai and then included in a POW swap via Lourenco Marques. They settled in Australia. After her wartime internment in Stanley, Marjorie visited Daphne to ask if she would like to come back to Hong Kong with her, but Daphne decided to remain with the Gabys in Australia.
Comments
Daphne Cook and Sally Gaby
This photo shows Daphne Cook standing on the left, aged about 20, next to her cousin Sally Gaby. She was brought up by her aunt, Iris and husband Cyril Gaby in China and then Australia. Barbara Anslow's diary mentions her mother Marjorie Cook writing a letter to Daphne from Stanley Camp with a big lipstick kiss on the back of the envelope. Before the war, Marjorie would visit her daughter in Foochow, where her sister and brother-in-law were based. Iris also brought the two girls to Hong Kong in 1938 for about 6 months during her husband's long leave, so that Marjorie could spend time with Daphne.