Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Son of Albert Cowley Cooper and Nellie Louisa Cooper of Pitt Street, Redfern, NSW

Commenced return to Australia on 20 December 1917 aboard HT Runic disembarking on 13 Febuary 1918 at Melbourne for onward travel to Sydney

Medals: British War Medal, Victory Medal

Eric Cowley Cooper was born on the 5th of November, 1897 in Queensland, and was son to Albert Cowley Cooper and Nellie Louisa Cooper (1).  His family later moved down to Sydney, New South Wales, residing in the inner suburb of Redfern (2). His religious background was Roman Catholic, and he attended church at St Vincent de Paul’s in Redfern in the years before war (3).

Eric Cooper’s education involved attending Pyrmont SPS primary school until 1911, where he later transferred to Sydney Technical High School for his higher level of education, attending there until 1915 (4). However, he dropped out of school in 1915, as his assessment marks were one of the lowest results in his class, with marks ranging from 43 - 74 out of 100(5). Later that same year, he enlisted for war at the Holsworthy Military base, on August 18, 1915 (6).

Eric Cowley Cooper’s services in war began on December 20, 1915, where he embarked on HMAT A29 Suevic from Sydney, New South Wales, which was bound for the Western Front. He disembarked in Marseilles, France, on March 28, 1916, and joined the Third Battalion (7). Cooper’s first major operation in World War 1 was in the Third Ypres Campaign, which is also known as the Battle of Passchendaele. The Allied Forces required support from the First Division troops of the Australian Imperial Force to control the Belgian city of Ypres, but also further reinforcement was required from the Third Division, and is when Cooper and his mates joined the battle. This battle with the German army and the Allied forces lasted from May to the end of July, 1916 (8).

Unfortunately, on July 22, 1916, Cooper was shot and suffered a scalp wound, leading to his admission to Beaufort War Hospital near Bristol, England, 5 days later. He was transferred on several different occasions before ending up at the No.3 Australian Auxiliary Hospital, located near Dartford, East London (9). After 5 months of recovery, Cooper was discharged from the hospital on January 4, 1917 and later marched into the Number 4 Command Depot in Wareham on the same day.

Cooper returned to the frontlines on April 19, 1917, embarking from Folkestone to cross the English Channel into France (10). From there, he officially rejoined the Third Battalion on May 10, 1917, and partook in operations along the Hindenburg Line near Ypres, Belgium (11).

However, after 4 months of fighting in battle, Cooper sustained severe wounds and was hospitalised again. He suffered major injuries to his shoulder and left knee, making him unfit for further combat (12). These injuries were treated at the Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth, England, and was discharged from hospital on November 9 (13).

Because of these injuries, Cooper left England to return to Australia on December 20, 1917. He arrived back in Australia on February 13, 1918. Later, he was discharged from the Australian Imperial Force on the 5th of July, 1918 classified as medically unfit, with “disordered action of the heart” (15).

Due to a fatal accident near Bathurst, New South Wales, Eric Cowley Cooper passed away at an early age of 42, on the 10th of September 1940. He was buried 2 days later, at the Rookwood Cemetery in Sydney, where his grave can still be found today (16). 

Endnotes, references:
(1) Eric Cowley Cooper; Queensland Government; Birth Records

(2) Eric Cowley Cooper; UNSW Canberra; Profile

(3) Eric Cowley Cooper; Australasian Holy Catholic Child (1918); Letter

(4) Eric Cowley Cooper; UNSW Canberra; Profile

(5) Eric Cowley Cooper; Internal; THS 1912 Class 1B Results Table

(6) Eric Cowley Cooper; Internal; Reference, war record

(7) Eric Cowley Cooper; ibid (6)

(8) Eric Cowley Cooper; Australian War Memorial; 3rd Battalion

(9) Eric Cowley Cooper; Same as above (6)

(10) Eric Cowley Cooper; ibid (6)

(11) Eric Cowley Cooper; ibid (8)

(12) Eric Cowley Cooper; ibid (6)

(13) Eric Cowley Cooper; ibid (6)

(14) Eric Cowley Cooper; ibid (6)

(15) Eric Cowley Cooper; ibid (6)

(16) Eric Cowley Cooper; Trove; Newspaper on deaths

Bibliography:

Eric Cowley Cooper, Research on Google Drive Folder
Virtual War Memorial
https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/271862 
National Archives Australia
https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/DetailsReports/ItemDetail.aspx?Barcode=3409657&isAv=N
Australian War Memorial (Eric Cowley Cooper)
https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1852041
UNSW Canberra
https://aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=61849
Trove
https://trove.nla.gov.au/
Queensland Government
https://www.familyhistory.bdm.qld.gov.au/details/fe3a4d2bc08c4e445c2daddf259db4827b84ed0063f58ebe83dac51046bc527f
Australian War Memorial (3rd Battalion)
https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/U51443