Albert William Cooper
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Albert William Cooper was born in 1894 at Bow, London and was the son of John a cork cutter and Alice Cooper née Moore of 51 Woolmer Road, Meadows, Nottingham. His father John was born in 1867 at Leicester and his mother Alice Mary Moore was born in 1870 at Clapton, London, they were married in 1891 in Central London. They went on to have 9 children, sadly three were to die in infancy or early childhood, their surviving children were, Elizabeth b1891 Manchester, Albert William b1894 Bow, London, Florence b1897 Manchester, Beatrice b1899 Derby, Harold b1906 Nottingham and Edith b1906 Nottingham. In the 1911 census the family are living at 51 Woolmer Road, Meadows, Nottingham and are shown as, John 44 yrs a cork cutter, he is living with his wife Alice 41 yrs and their children, Elizabeth20 yrs a twist lace maker, Albert William 17 yrs a worker for the national telephone company, Florence 14 yrs an assistant at Boots Chemist, Beatrice 12 yrs a scholar, Harold 5 yrs a scholar and Edith 5 yrs a scholar
Rifleman Albert William Cooper enlisted on 7th September 1914 at Nottingham, he gave his age as 20 yrs 229 days, his address as 51 Woolmer Road, Meadows, Nottingham, he gave his occupation as that of engine cleaner. His next of kin was his mother Alice of the same address. He was posted as a Rifleman to the 11th battalion King's Royal Rifle Corps and joined then on 9th September 1914 at their base in Winchester. He landed in France on 21st July 1915, he was promoted Lance Corporal 14th April 1916 and to Corporal on 30th September 1916. He was killed in action on 4th April 1917, having no known grave his name is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France.
In a letter published on 6th November 1915, In the Nottingham Evening Post Rifleman Albert William Cooper, 11th Battalion King’s Royal Rifle Corps, appealed for recruits to come forward. He did not come home, being killed in April 1917. “THE ENGLISHMAN’S DUTY. “NOTTINGHAM SOLDIER’S APPEAL. “In a letter to his father in Nottingham, dated October, 28th, Rifleman A. Cooper, of the King’s Royal Rifles, writes from France as follows: “I only wish I could show shirkers at home in Nottingham round a few of the graves here and a few of the ruined towns and then ask them if they are willing to see England look the same, or if they would sooner stop at home. I am sure a chap who really loves his mother or girl would be the first to take up arms. There is a lot of work and it is a hard life, but it is all the game, and we must all put our shoulders to the wheel if we want to save England from the same fate as Belgium. That country has done a lot for us, and it is our place as Englishmen to help them to avenge their losses.” Above article is courtesy of Jim Grundy and his facebook pages Small Town Great War Hucknall 1914-1918
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