COOPER, Squire

Squire Cooper was the son of Mr and Mrs Cooper of 17 Mount Pleasant, Kingswinford, Staffordshire, and presumably had contacts in next door Wordsley. He volunteered for the South Staffords and joined the 8th (Service) Battalion on the Western Front in 1916. They were involved in the first day of the Battle of the Somme when Fricourt was captured. In August they were in the battle for Delville Wood and on the 9th October were posted to the front line again near Gommecourt. On the 12th a large enemy patrol was intercepted in No-Man’s Land and the fight resulted in several casualties, including Private Squire Cooper. He was 23 years of age and is buried in Hebuterne Military Cemetery (IV C 2) and commemorated on the Wordsley Memorial.