Sydney Alan Cooper
Career Naval officer 1916 - 1940.
- Family History
- Military history
- Extra information
- Photographs
Born : 17th July 1902 : Carrington, Nottingham.
Son of : William Frederick Cooper and Kate Alice Cooper.
His Mother, Kate Alice Cooper died on the 9th November 1905, aged, 43 years old.
According to the 1911 census, the Family were living at : "South Bank", Magdala Road, Nottingham, Frederick William Cooper, Head, a Hosiery Manufacturer, aged, 53 years old, Leonard Lindley Cooper, Son, a Hosiery Manyfacturer, aged, 26 years old, Frederick William Cooper Junior, Son, a Scholar, aged, 13 years old, Winifred Katherine Cooper, Daughter, a Scholar, aged, 11 years old, Sydney Alan Cooper, Son, a Scholar, aged, 8 years old, Sophia Revill, a Servant (Cook), aged, 25 yeras old, Elsa Hardy, a Servant, aged, 21 years old, Ellen Walters, a Servant, aged, 13 years old, Amy Develin, a Companion, aged, 59 years old.
By the time of the 1921 Census he was recorded as living with his Brother and his Family at : "East Dane", Seacroft, Skegness, Lincolnshire, Leonard Lindley Cooper, Head, aged, 37 years, 1 month old, Emily Cooper, Wife, aged, 37 years old, Kate Elizabeth Barbara Cooper, Daughter, aged, 6 years, 6 months old, Margaret Hope Cooper, Daughter, aged, 4 years, 6 months old, Anthea Emily Victoria Cooper, Daughter, aged, 2 years, 6 months old, Sydney Alan Cooper, Brother, Naval Officer, Midshipman, HMS Valkyrie, royal Navy, aged, 18 years, 11 months old, Annie Margaret James, a Visitor, aged, 50 years old, Mary Elizabeth Stirland, a Visitor, aged, 24 years, 6 months old, Nellie Stirland, a Servant, aged, 20 years, 9 months old.
Husband of : Ethel Clara Cooper, nee Stonier of : Hayward's Heath, Sussex, they were married on the 25th July 1928 at Christ Church, Lancaster Gate, Westminster, London.
His Father, William Frederick Cooper died on the 9th May 1929, aged, 71 years old.
His Parents are buried together in a Family Grave and Memorial in Nottingham General Cemtery, Commander, Sydney Alan Cooper, RN is Commemorated on his Parent's Memorial.
Entered the royal Navy on the 15th January 1916.
Acting Sub Lieutenant : 15th January 1922.
Sub Lieutenant : 15th October 1922.
Lieutenant : 15th September 1924.
January 1925 : HMS Valorious, Destroyer, Royal Navy, Atlantic Fleet.
3rd December 1926 - July 1927 : HMS Comus, Cruiser, Royal Navy, Atlantic Fleet.
25th May 1929 - August 1929 : HMS Vernon Torpedo School, Portsmouth.
April 1930 - February 1931 : Torpedo Officer, Flotilla Staff, First Destroyer Flotilla, HMS Mackay, Royal Navy, Flotilla Leader, Mediterranean.
1st January 1932 : No Appointment Listed.
2nd March 1932 - September 1932 : HMS Vernon Torpedo School, Portsmouth.
Lieutenant Commander : 15th September 1932.
30th October 1933 - February 1936 : Torpedo Officer, HMS Neptune, Cruiser, Royal Navy, Home Fleet.
11th November 1936 - June 1938 : Torpedo Officer, HMS Rodney, Battleship, Royal Navy, Home Fleet.
Commander : 30th June 1938.
16th Augaust 1938 - July 1939 : Commanding Officer, HMS Winchelsea. Destroyer, Royal Navy and for duty with Submarines.
7th July 1938 - 18th February 1940 : Commanding Officer, HMS Daring, Destroyer, Royal Navy, torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea.
Commemorated : Portsmouth Naval Memorial as : Commander, SA Cooper.
Panel Reference : Panel : 36 : Column 3.
HMS Daring, Pennant Number, H16 was a D. Class Destroyer built for the Royal Navy in the early 1930s.
Ordered : 2nd February 1931 : Built by : Thornycroft, Southampton : Laid Down : 18th June 1931 : Launched : 7th April 1932 : Commissioned : 25th November 1932.
Mooto : "Splendide Audax", (Finely Daring).
The ship spent the bulk of her career on the China Station, she was briefly Commanded by Louis Mountbatten before World War Two, HMS Daring escorted convoys in the Red Sea in October-November 1939 before returning to the UK for the first time in five years in January 1940.
On Saturday, 17th February 1940, HMS Daring joined Convoy HN.12 heading west from Bergen, Norway, towards Britain as escort, taking up position on the port quarter of the Convoy, as the evening appoached she carried out an anti subamarine sweep five miles to the rear of the of the convoy, at that point all seemed well, at around 03.00 hrs the next morning, HMS Ilex reported a contact and launched a pattern of depth charges, HMS Ilex next reported at 04.03 Hrs that a ship that they couldn't immediately identify had been torpedoed, that ship was HMS Daring, the torpedo blew off her stern causing her to quickly capsize and sink with the loss of 157 of her ship's complement, despite a desperate search by a number of the other escort vessels only five survivors were picked up.
HMS Daring was sunk by a torpedo fired by the German Submarine, U-23 at a position reported as 58 degrees, 39 minutes North, 01 degrees, 40 minutes West.
Research by Gary Crosby.
Unknown
Photograph of Commander, Sydney Alan Cooper RN.
Photograph of Commander, Sydney Alan Cooper, RN added by Gary Crosby on the 7th February 2026.
Family Grave and Memorial in Nottingham General Cemetery Commemorating Commander, Sydney Alan Cooper RN.
Family Grave and Memorial in Nottingham General Cemetery Commemorating Commander, Sydney Alan Cooper RN by Gary Crosby on the 30th January 2026.
Family Grave and Memorial in Nottingham General Cemetery Commemorating Commander, Sydney Alan Cooper RN.
Family Grave and Memorial in Nottingham General Cemetery Commemorating Commander, Sydney Alan Cooper RN by Gary Crosby on the 30th January 2026.
HMS Daring, Royal Navy, Ship's Crest.
HMS Daring, Royal Navy, Ship's Crest added by Gary Crosby.
Portsmouth Naval Memorial Panel Commemorating Commander, Sydney Alan Cooper RN.
Portsmouth Naval Memorial Panel Commemorating Commander, Sydney Alan Cooper RN added by Gary Crosby.