COOPER, Percy Edward
| Service Numbers: | Not yet discovered |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 3 November 1915, In Victoria |
| Last Rank: | Major |
| Last Unit: | 3rd Field Artillery Brigade |
| Born: | Seymour, Victoria, Australia, 13 April 1895 |
| Home Town: | Geelong, Greater Geelong, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Clerk |
| Died: | Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia, 1984, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Burwood General Cemetery, Victoria, Australia Lawn area, Row 14A, Grave 98 |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 3 Nov 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 2nd Field Artillery Brigade , In Victoria | |
|---|---|---|
| 9 Nov 1915: | Involvement Lieutenant, 2nd Field Artillery Brigade , --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '3' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Wandilla embarkation_ship_number: A62 public_note: '' | |
| 9 Nov 1915: | Embarked Lieutenant, 2nd Field Artillery Brigade , HMAT Wandilla, Melbourne | |
| 21 Jan 1917: | Transferred AIF WW1, Major, 3rd Field Artillery Brigade , From 2nd Field Artillery Brigade | |
| 21 Jan 1917: | Promoted AIF WW1, Captain, 3rd Field Artillery Brigade , Promoted when taken on strength | |
| 4 May 1918: | Promoted AIF WW1, Major, 3rd Field Artillery Brigade | |
| 27 Sep 1918: | Honoured Mention in Dispatches, London Gazette on 31 December 1918, page 15226, position 1 Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 23 May 1919, page 880, position 51 |
Help us honour Percy Edward Cooper's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Carol Foster
Son of William Cooper and Mary Ann Cooper nee Higgins of Kilgour Street, Geelong, Victoria
On 4 September 1919 Percy married Gwendoline Mary Shaw in the Roman Catholic Church St. Martin, Corpus Christie, England. Registrar J. McKearney officiated.
On 1 November 1919 he commenced to return to Australia aboard HT Orvieto disembarking on 12 December 1919
Medals: Croix de Guerre, 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal
Croix de Guerre was award for gallantry and devotion to duty at Amiens. Recommended on 4 October 1918. Awarded. London Gazette on 5 April 1919, page 4525, position 12 and Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 23 July 1919, page 1170, position 32
In 1922 Percy was residing in 'Mullion', Peverill Street, Canterbury, NSW
Biography contributed by Allen Hancock
Percy Edward Cooper was born in Seymour, Victoria on 13 April 1895 the son of William Cooper and Mary Ann Higgins. At the outbreak of World War 1, Percy was living in Geelong, Victoria, where he worked in the Victoria Railways Accounting Office. He had also been serving in the Militia as a Lieutenant with the 19th Battery, Australian Field Artillery.
On 9 Sep 1915 Percy applied for a commission with the Australian Imperial Force and was accepted. On 9 Nov 1915 Percy embarked for overseas service from Melbourne aboard the troopship Wandilla arriving in Egypt on 7 December. Percy was initially appointed to the 23rd Battery, Field Artillery Brigade prior embarking for France on 22 Mar 1916 but was transferred to the 21st Battery in May under the First Division.
Percy was promoted to Captain on 21 Jan 1917 and again promoted to Temporary Major on 1 Oct, the promotion becoming permanent on 4 May 1918. In Oct 1918, with the Americans relieving the exhausted Australian divisions which were taken out of the front line, many of the Australians who had served since the Gallipoli campaign were able to return to Australia on 6 months leave. With the unit’s most senior officers going home Percy became the Acting Commanding Officer of the 3rd Australian Field Artillery Brigade for the final days of the war. (1)
In addition to the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal, Percy Cooper was Mentioned in Dispatches (2) and was awarded the Belgian Croix De Guerre (3).
With the war over Percy transferred to England where he was able to attend Bradford Technical College near Leeds. On 4 Sep 1919 Percy married Gwendoline Mary Clive-Howard at St Martins Corpus Christi Church, London. Gwendoline was the widow of Lieutenant William Hetherington Shaw who had been killed in France on 8 Oct 1918. (4)
Returning to Australia on 12 Dec 1919 aboard the "Orvieto", Percy continued to serve in the Militia with the 2nd Field Artillery Brigade eventually becoming its Commanding Officer on 11 October 1925 before retiring on 31 Dec 1928.
The Coopers had three children: Dennis Edward, Howard William and Margaret Marie.
Gwendoline passed away in Camberwell on 28 Jul 1969 and was buried in the Burwood Cemetery
Percy passed away in St Vincent’s Private Hospital, Fitzroy on 29 April 1984. He was buried in the Burwood Cemetery on 1 May 1984 after a funeral service held at Holy Family Church, Mount Waverley.
(1) Australian War Memorial. Australian Imperial Force unit war diaries, 1914-18 War. - AWM4 Subclass 13/31 - Headquarters, 3rd Australian Field Artillery Brigade. October 1918, November 1918.
(2) Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No 61 dated 23 May 1919
(3) Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No 91 dated 23 Jul 1919
(4) Global, Find a Grave Index for Burials at Sea and other Select Burial Locations, 1300s-Current. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/24495737/william-hetherington-shaw