Background
Cockcroft was born in the family home in Keighley and attended Eastwood Primary School.
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Thomas Cockcroft
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Career
Cockroft made his debut for Keighley on 12 February 1938 in the away fixture to Newcastle and marked the occasion by scoring an injury-time try to level the scores in the 6-all drawn game. Like many sportsmen of this era Cockroft"s best years were lost due to military service in World World War World War II During the war Cockcroft served in the Royal Artillery as a Lance Bombardier service number 1674971. He was an Anti Aircraft Gunner in the 9th Associate of Arts Division from 1940 until he was demobbed in 1945.
He was wounded in action at Clifton Suspension Bridge during a Luftwaffe attack on the Bristol Aeroplane Company factory at Filton on the night of 25 September 1940, in which 168 bombs were dropped in 45 seconds, killing 131 people.
The 9th Associate of Arts Division had some very good rugby union and rugby league players. During the war rugby league players were able to play rugby union.
Cockroft played in the winning team in April 1942 at the divisional rugby union final which was played at the home of the Welsh Rugby Union, the Millennium Stadium, in Cardiff. Cockcroft is the father of the former winger William Cockcroft.
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During his service he helped to defended London and Cardiff. Later in 1944 he helped defend London again during the Flying bomb offensive, Operation Diver. This time from East Anglia, which became know locally as "Bomb Alley".
