Private 41978 Samuel Cooper, MM

Died of Wounds on Tuesday, 12th November 1918, age 19.
Buried in Grave S. III. AA. 13. at St. Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen, Seine-Maritime, France.

3rd Bn., Worcestershire Regiment. 57th Brigade of 19th Division.

Born: Ocker Hill, Enlisted: Walsall, Resident: Wednesbury.

First landed France & Flanders, post 31st December 1915.
Medal entitlement: Military Medal, British War Medal, Victory Medal.
Soldier's Papers at National Archives did not survive.

Not commemorated on any Tipton memorial.
Commemorated here because identified as Tipton on 'Soldiers Died in the Great War'.

Link to Commonwealth War Graves Site: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/516753/

Genealogical Data

1901 Census
57 Ocker Hill Road, Tipton, Staffs.
Living with James G. and Elizabeth Turner and their family as Boarders were:
Peter Amos Cooper (35, Gas Fitting Striker, born Walsall), his wife Amelia (31, born Oldbury), and their 3 children: Peter Amos (8, born Great Bridge), Agnes (6, born Tipton), and Samuel (2, born Tipton).

1911 Census
11 Drews Court, Wednesbury, Staffs.
Peter Amos Cooper (45, Labourer at Tube Works, born Walsall), his wife Amelia (41, born Oldbury), and their 6 surviving children of 8: Peter Amos (18, Screwer at Tube Works, born Great Bridge), Agnes (16, born Ocker Hill), Samuel (12, born Ocker Hill), Mary (8, born Ocker Hill), Abigail (6, born Ocker Hill), and Joseph (3, born Ocker Hill).

Personal Data

In February 1919, Samuel's mother and sole legatee, Amelia, received his outstanding army pay and allowances; this amount to £14/4/9d (14 pounds, 4 shillings and 9 pence). In December 1919 she also received his War Gratuity of £7/10/0d (7 pounds and 10 shillings).

The value of the War Gratuity and his date of death suggest that Samuel joined the army in March 1917.

Action resulting in his death

Private Samuel Cooper died of wounds on 12th November 1918, the day after Armistice Day; he is buried in St. Sever Cemetery Extension at Rouen. This cemetery saw the burials from the Base Hospital at Rouen where Samuel would have been a patient, therefore he would have been wounded some time before.

The last action of the 3rd Worcesters in the Great War was in the Pursuit to Mons in early November 1918; they were last in action near Bavay, 10 miles south west of Mons. Here 6 men were killed in action between the 7th and 8th November, the last men of the Worcesters to be killed in action although many more were subsequently to die of their wounds. It is possible that this was the action where Private Cooper received his wounds, although it cannot be proven.

Samuel was awarded the Military Medal, the notification appeared in the London Gazette dated June 19th, 1919. This suggests that the medal was awarded very late in the war, probably in October or November 1918.

Newspaper Cuttings

None.