Page 77 - Memorial Groves

FRANK NOBLE
with his nephew Michael Gregg
PLAQUE NO 122:

Frank Richard Noble (1934) THE KOREAN

Frank entered Hale School in 1934 from Crawley.

After the outbreak of the war he joined the 2/4th Machine-
Gun Battalion in November 1940 and after training at CONFLICT: 1950-53
Northam was sent with his unit to Adelaide and then to
Darwin. The battalion eventually reached Singapore on 24
January 1942, as the Allied forces were rapidly retreating
before the Japanese advance. Singapore was surrendered
by the Allies several weeks later. PLAQUE NO 123:

After some months in Changi, he was taken to North Richard Roslyn Sinclair
Borneo as a member of the "E" Force prisoner-of-war
(1943-46)
labour contingent working around Sandakan.
As the war drew to a close the Japanese began a series
of force-marches from Sandakan to Ranau. Prisoners, Richard was born in 1929. He was a very capable student and an outstanding
suffering from disease and malnutrition, had to walk 200 athlete. He was in the Inters athletics team for all his years at Hale and was
kilometres through inhospitable, tropical terrain across the Open Champion in 1945. He was on the Cygnet Committee in his final two
mountains to Ranau. Only six men, of the 2,500 prisoners years, was a member of the Dramatic Society, in the School Cadet Unit for 4
who were forced to participate, lived to tell the tale. One years (and became a member of the rifle shooting team) and in his final year
of those who perished was Frank Noble. He died on 24 was a School prefect.
May 1945. He was 24 years of age.
After leaving school Richard entered the Royal Australian Navy and trained as a
Laid by his nephew, Haleian Mr Michael Gregg (1946-51). pilot. Eventually he was posted aboard HMAS 'Sydney' to serve in the Korean
conflict in 1951.
The Frank Noble Systems Workshop, On his first mission against enemy forces on 7 December 1951, his Sea Fury

aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire north-west of Chinnampo after successfully
part of the Hale School Peter attacking a bridge. He appeared to parachute safely to ground. However, when
a helicopter crew reached him he was found dead. It transpired that he had
Wright Technology Centre at Hale been hit by the tailplane of the aircraft after he had bailed out.

School, has been dedicated to the He was 22 years of age and left a widow and a three month old son.

Placed by his Haleian brother Mr Ian Sinclair.
memory of Frank by his family.