Tyne Cot Memorial
Tyne Cot Memorial: Pauline Priano
Colin C. McMillan has provided the following:
In the 1901 census Robert Raymond Cooper was 7 (therefore 20 in 1914 and 23 at the time of his death), living in Newcastle House (a pub), Castle Square, Morpeth. This later became the Waterford Lodge and as such it still exists today. He lived with his father, Samuel Rudd Cooper (37) and his mother, Mary Maria Cooper (31) and siblings Cyril Harrison Cooper, 5 and Florence Mary Cooper, 3. The father is described as “Inn keeper, pub”, an employer working from home and born in High Green, Yorkshire. Robert’s mother is not employed and was born in Great Thoring, Norfolk. Also living in the household at the time were Eleanor Mary Tuck, the head of householder’s sister-in-law, single, aged 22, and two servants: Jane Cairns, 15 and her sister Katherine aged 14. There was also a William Edward Moffett, 61.
There is no evidence of Robert Raymond Cooper or his family in the 1911 census.
About a month after Robert’s death, the following article appeared in the Morpeth Herald of Friday 23/11/1917:
"The death of Robert Raymond Cooper, N.F., son of Mr and Mrs S. R. Cooper, High Church, Morpeth, has occasioned much regret among a large circle of friends. He was killed on October 26th. Deceased, who was 24 years of age, was educated at Morpeth Grammar School and afterwards attended Skerry’s College, Newcastle. Before enlistment he was in the service of Wilson and Armstrong, steamship brokers and coal exporters of Newcastle. He was a member of St James’ Church choir, the Church Institute and the YMCA. He also took an active part in football and cricket and was well liked by his fellows in the borough. Among the letters of condolence received by the bereaved parents is one from the Commanding Officer, who pays a high tribute to his worth as a soldier."
The only other information we have of him is we know he was baptised at Morpeth on 6th February 1894.
Skerry's College was in Ellison Place. It was one of a series of colleges in the UK where students were were taught shorthand and accountancy to prepare them for Civil Service examination.
In addition to the above, R.R. Cooper is listed in the nominal roll of 1st/4th Bn, NF. The 2nd Battle of Passchendaele was fought between 26th October and 10th November 1917. The 1st/4th Bn was involved here and it is possible that this was where Cooper was killed, on the very first day of the battle. The 4th, along with the 5th and 7th Battalions were part of the 149th Infantry Brigade. The operation order for the attack was taken from the war diary and is shown below.
APPENDIX X A
OPERATION ORDER NO. 1A.
2. The battalion will attack on a 3 company frontage each company being on a platoon frontage.
‘A’ company on right, ‘B’ company in centre and ‘D’ company on left. ‘C’ Company will be in reserve on a 2 platoon frontage.
3. (a) Platoons will leap frog and capture and consolidate the objectives already given them i.e. FIRST WAVE to HUTS, SECOND WAVE to line V.2.3.1.6 – V.2.c.5.1. THIRD WAVE to final objective V.2.a.3.0 to V.2.d.15.55.
(b) Reserve company will move forward with attacking waves to a point approximately 200 yards west of the HUTS.
(c) ‘A’ company will detail parties to obtain touch with battalion on their right at the following points.
(a) Concrete shelter at V.8.a.1.8.
(b) Ditto at V.2.c.4.1.
(c) ROAD BRIDGE at V.2.d.0.6.
4. Two machine guns will accompany 4th wave of ‘B’ Company.
5. Two Stokes Mortars will be attached to ‘C’ company and will be available to fire at any strong points holding up the attack.
6. Barrage will begin to creep forward at ZERO + 8 minutes and will creep at the uniform rate of 100 yards in 8 minutes throughout. Lifts will be at 50 yards at a time.7. Taping out of the assembly trench will be carried out under an officer from Battalion HQ. One line of tape will be laid from the Railway Embankment at point V.1.d.0.2. to V.7.b.6.5. Two guides will be left at the end of the tape on Railway Embankment. A short length of tape will be laid at right angles to assembly tape to mark the left of ‘D’ company, short lengths of tape will be laid at right angles to assembly tape every 130 yards to mark company frontages. The assembly tape marks position of leading wave.
8. ‘A’,’C’ and ‘D’ companies will move forward to assembly positions at 7pm tonight each company providing its own covering party. ‘B’ company will withdraw to the assembly tape at 11pm. Completion of assembly will be notified by code word ARRAS, sent by runner to battalion HQ.
9. 1 contact aeroplane will be flying over companies front at zero + 1 hour 30 mins and at zero + 3 hours heading troops will show their position to contact aeroplane only when called for
(a) by Claxon horn
(b) by series of white Very lights dropped from the plane.
10. RAP will be at PASCHAL FARM.
11. PRISONERS 1 man as escort to 5 Bosches
12. Reports will be forwarded to battalion HQ at TAUBE FARM as frequently as possible and at least once in the first hour after zero.
13. Battalion HQ will open at TAUBE FARM at 7pm tonight.
14. Zero will be at the fall of the barrage. Time of this will be notified later, also synchronisation of watches.
15. General compass bearing of attack 55 degrees magnetic.
16. Acknowledge.
Issued at 1.30 pm
Copies to CO ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’ and ‘D’.
Robert Raymond Cooper is remembered in Morpeth on M17.01, M17.02, M17.06, M17.09, M17.12 (Item 12), M17.18 and M17.29 and in Newcastle on NUT043
