Edward Cooper
Sergeant, 12 Battalion. The King's Royal Rifle Corps
- Register No.
- 250 (Alf's numbering, from The Register of the Victoria Cross, 1997)
- Rank
- Sergeant all Sergeants →
- Unit
- 12 Battalion. The King's Royal Rifle Corps all King's Royal Rifle Corps VCs →
- Date of action
- 16 August 1917 on this day → all of 1917 →
- Conflict / campaign
- First World War
- London Gazette
- 14th September, 1917 on this day → all of 1917 →
- Born
- 4th May 1896 at Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham
- Died
- 19th August 1985 at Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham
- Memorial / grave
- Stockton-on-Tees public library
Digest of citation
On 16th August, 1917 at Langemarck, Belgium, enemy machine guns from concrete blockhouse 250 yards away was holding up the advance of the Battalion on the left and also causing heavy casualties to Sergeant Cooper's own Battalion. With four men he rushed towards the Blockhouse, but although they fired at the garrison at very close range (100 yards) the machine guns were not silenced, so Sergeant Cooper ran straight at them and fired his revolver into an opening in the Blockhouse. The machine guns ceased firing and the garrison surrendered. Seven machine guns and 45 prisoners were captured
From Alf Askin's research notes
Reproduced as Alf wrote it, c. 2000–2005. Spelling and abbreviations are his own.
COOPER, Edward. (reg No. 250).
Sergeant. 12 Battalion. The King's Royal Rifle Corps.
London Gazetted on 14th September, 1917.
Born on 4th May 1896 at Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham.
Died on 19th August 1985 at Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham.
Memorial at Stockton-on-Tees public library.
Digest of Citation reads: On 16th August, 1917 at Langemarck, Belgium, enemy machine guns from concrete blockhouse 250 yards away was holding up the advance of the Battalion on the left and also causing heavy casualties to Sergeant Cooper's own Battalion. With four men he rushed towards the Blockhouse, but although they fired at the garrison at very close range (100 yards) the machine guns were not silenced, so Sergeant Cooper ran straight at them and fired his revolver into an opening in the Blockhouse. The machine guns ceased firing and the garrison surrendered. Seven machine guns and 45 prisoners were captured.
Additional
Visit the grave or memorial
Alf recorded the memorial as: Stockton-on-Tees public library
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