COOPER, John

John Cooper was the son of Edmund Cooper of Illey and attended Halesowen C of E school. He was one of the early volunteers of 1914 and joined the 10th {Service} Battalion of the Worcesters. They were sent to the Western Front in July 1915 and were in the front line for the first day of the 1916 Battle of the Somme. They fought in the successful storming of La Boisselle on the 3rd July and after the long and gruelling struggle to drive the German forces back from Ovillers were transferred to a quieter sector. However, probably as a result of shelling, Corporal John Cooper was seriously wounded. He was sent to a military hospital where, at the age of 23, he died on the 18th September. He is buried in Boulogne Eastern Cemetery (VIII C 1) and commemorated on the Halesowen and Halesowen C of E school Memorials.