Percy Newbery Cooper

Percy Newbery Cooper enlisted in the King's Royal Rifles and was commissioned in the Sherwood Foresters on 31 January 1915. He served in France from 3 December 1915 and was promoted lieutenant on 4 February 1916.He was mortally wounded in the confused and unsuccessful engagement on the Somme on 5 July 1916 and died the next day, 6 July.Percy was buried in Corbie Communal Cemetery Extension.He qualified for the 1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.On the 1st July 1916, the 23rd Division moved from Rainneville to Henencourt Wood and then finally into billets at Dernancourt on the 4th July. "Held up for some time on the road by the 21st Divn & 32nd Divn entraining to go back for a rest, they were laden with trophies and had apparently done well. . . . . . About 8 p.m. the Battn was ordered to be ready to move at short notice . . . . Finally ordered to fall in about 9.30 p.m. & marched off about 10-30 p.m. Apparently the Battn was going to hold a line in LA BOISELLE for the night & to make a bomb attack about 2 p.m. next day.""5/7/16 - The Battn reached the barrier on the ALBERT-POZIERES road, near the TARA line, about 12.30 a.m., and at once proceeded to load up with stokes mortar and mills bombs."The Battalion was ordered to take and secure a line in advance of the existing front line."Progress up the communication trench proved very slow owing to the ration and working parties encountered, and to the fact that the G.S.O III 19th Divn & Staff Capt 57th Bde were not at all sure of the way. The Battn was heavily shelled in the long communication trench, but arrived at last, and took up a position in a support line near the church in LA BOISELLE.”On reaching the front line it became apparent that all was not as expected. The trenches and dugouts were full of men belonging to the 57th Bde, which were eventually ordered to withdraw. However the situation remained confused:"On inspection it became apparent that English troops already occupied the line . . . and that there was practically no existing front line. The enemy appeared to have a very strong work . . . also that it was impossible to advance unobserved along the trench. . . . Orders were accordingly issued by the C.O. for an attack in three columns . . . Each Column to consist of 1 Coy and certain Lewis Gunners and Bombers, 184 in all. A definite objective was allotted to each Column. The remainder of the Battn was to remain in Reserve under the C.O.""The orders could not, however, be carried out, owing to the failure of the 57th Bde to send up the two Reserve Coys at the time ordered. At 1.15 p.m., as these Coys had not arrived the C.O. decided to fill the place of the Centre Column as far as possible with the remainder of the H.Q. Coy, some 40 strong. Orders were left for the two reserve Coys to advance on arrival and support the Right & Left Columns respectively, consolidating any ground won."During the attack there was close quarter fighting for several hours but by 7pm all companies except 'D' had been driven back. By 9 pm that evening all of the Companies had been recalled with some, such as 'D' Company, having to give up hard won ground."The C.O. waited to advance with the Centre Column until he should, from reports and observations, have reasonable hopes of gaining touch with the flanking columns in the enemy's front line. Whilst waiting for these reports the C.O. learnt that the Reserve Coys had come up and had commenced going over, and that zero hour had been changed from 2 to 2.15 p.m. The right col[umn] had apparently got in touch with the regiment on it's right (7th E. Lancs.) but the left was held up by the enemy work. At 2.50 p.m. the Centre Column advanced, but were held up by a block of earth 12 ft high . . . After several costly attempts to overcome this obstacle, the column was forced to give ground, as its flanks had become exposed to the enemy's bombers, owing to the fact that the Right Column, after gaining its objective, had been driven back by bombs, while the Left Column had been held up from the start.""Fighting at close quarters continued for some hours. About 7 p.m. it became clear that all Coys had been driven back with the exception of D Coy, which after 5 attacks had won and made good the trench . . . About 9 p.m. it became necessary to withdraw this Coy as it was in danger of being cut off, and Coys were left in what was practically the original front line.""A Coy had suffered very heavy casualties having continued to attack the work all afternoon. B & C Coys had made 3 attacks, and more than once reached their objective, only to be forced back by superior numbers and bombs. A slight counter attack was made by the enemy about 2 a.m. on the 6th but was easily repulsed. Shortly after the the Battn was relieved . . . . and marched back to its old billets in DERNANCOURT."Casualty returns were made out. (Killed, Offs 4, O.R. 50. Wounded Offs 10, O.R. 175)".

Personal dedication on CWGC headstone: 'His the glory evermore. Ours the pain and sorrow. Until we meet.'Family memorial, St Giles church, West Bridgford; inscription below the insignia of the Boys' Brigade: 'In memory of PN Cooper Lieut. 1st Sherwood Foresters. Died in France, July 6th 1916, aged 21 years. Given by his parents in recognition of the benefit and happiness he derived from the Boys' Brigade'.This board was once the top of a lectern in Swain's Hall, Trent Bridge cricket ground, which was the headquarters of the 8th Nottingham Company of the Boys Brigade to which Percy belonged. In 1984 during alterations to the cricket ground the hall was demolished and the Boys Brigade Company transferred to St Giles church hall. The lectern was also relocated to the church hall but the top was removed later and placed in the church on the west wall next to the First World War memorial (Faculty granted 4 November 2002). Nottingham Evening Post, ‘Roll of Honour’, 13 July 1916: ‘Cooper,. Killed in action, July 6th, Lieutenant Percy Newbery Cooper, aged 21, only son of Mr and Mrs PJ Cooper, 24, Bridgford-road, West Bridgford, Nottm.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)Nottingham Evening Post, 13 July 1916: ‘Lieut. Percy Cooper. Lieut. Percy Cooper of the Sherwood Foresters, who has been killed in action, was the only son of Mr and Mrs PJ Cooper, 24, Bridgford-road, West Bridgford, and was 21 years of age. Educated at the Nottingham High School, he joined the King’s Royal Rifles at the outbreak of the war, and received a commission in the Sherwoods on January 31st last year. He proceeded to the front in December, and was promoted to a lieutenacy on Februry 4th of this year.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)