James Cooper
Private, 2nd Battalion 24th Regiment (South Wales Borderers)
- Register No.
- 252 (Alf's numbering, from The Register of the Victoria Cross, 1997)
- Rank
- Private all Privates →
- Unit
- 2nd Battalion 24th Regiment (South Wales Borderers) (register: 24th Regiment of Foot) all 24th Regiment of Foot VCs →
- Date of action
- 7 May 1867 on this day → all of 1867 →
- Conflict / campaign
- Andaman Islands Expedition
- London Gazette
- 17th December, 1867 on this day → all of 1867 →
- Born
- in 1840 at Birmingham
- Died
- 9th August 1889 at Birmingham
- Memorial / grave
- grave in it Warstone Lane Cemetery, Warstone, Hockley, Birmingham
Digest of citation
On the 7th May, 1867 at the Island of Little Andaman, Bay of Bengal, Private Cooper was one of a party of five * of the 2nd/24th Regiment who risked their lives in manning a boat and proceeding through dangerous surf to rescue some of their comrades who had been sent to the island to find out the fate of the Commander and seven of the crew, who had landed from the ship Assam valley and were feared murdered by the cannibalistic islanders. (reg No. 496) and T Murphy (reg No. 904)
From Alf Askin's research notes
Reproduced as Alf wrote it, c. 2000–2005. Spelling and abbreviations are his own.
COOPER, James. (reg No. 252).
Private 2nd Battalion 24th Regiment (South Wales Borderers).
London Gazetted on 17th December, 1867.
Born on in 1840 at Birmingham.
Died on 9th August 1889 at Birmingham.
Memorial at grave in it Warstone Lane Cemetery, Warstone, Hockley, Birmingham.
Digest of Citation reads: On the 7th May, 1867 at the Island of Little Andaman, Bay of Bengal, Private Cooper was one of a party of five * of the 2nd/24th Regiment who risked their lives in manning a boat and proceeding through dangerous surf to rescue some of their comrades who had been sent to the island to find out the fate of the Commander and seven of the crew, who had landed from the ship Assam valley and were feared murdered by the cannibalistic islanders.
* David Bell (reg No. 75), C M Douglas (reg No. 340), W Griffiths (reg No. 496) and T Murphy (reg No. 904).
Additional information: Private Coopers Victoria Cross was awarded for saving life in the sea during a storm off the Andaman Islands, not for bravery in action against an enemy of the Queen.
Additional information
Private Coopers Victoria Cross was awarded for saving life in the sea during a storm off the Andaman Islands, not for bravery in action against an enemy of the Queen.
* David Bell (reg No. 75), C M Douglas (reg No. 340), W Griffiths
Visit the grave or memorial
Alf recorded the memorial as: grave in it Warstone Lane Cemetery, Warstone, Hockley, Birmingham
Map links open a search for the place name Alf recorded; please check opening times and exact locations before travelling. Many VC graves have since been restored by the Victoria Cross Trust.
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