Lives of the First World War

This is L/Cpl John Arnold Cooper of the Signals Regiment / Attached to Royal Field Artillery ............pictured shortly after being cited for award of the Military Cross

At Manchester Southern Cemetery, Chorlton

Awarded to Lance Corporal John Arnold Cooper in a parade at Chester Castle in early 1918, for an act of Bravery in the Field on 30th November 1917

An item from Cooper Family records......................... This is a transcription of a report in the Chester Chronicle of early 1918 ............... It reports the presentation of The Military Medal to Lance Corporal John Arnold Cooper, and includes the Citation'................................A later addition shows details of what befell John Arnold after the glory of winning the medal. ............ Illness, lack of work, poverty, early death of T.B..

This photo is of Guardsman Leonard Holmes Cooper, Coldstream Guards, the brother of John Arnold Cooper M.M. .....................Leonard arrived at the front, at Ypres, in May 1916..........but was killed just 6 weeks later........... dying of shrapnel wounds when he had just left the front line for the reserve trenches........................ It is to be wondered if his death steeled his brother John, enabling him to act with great courage on 30th Nov 1917, resulting in the award of the Military Medal ?

My father, Harold Cooper.........about 1918/19................'Somewhere in France/Belgium/Germany. (He took part in 'miitary policing' in Germany after the Armistice .)