Name
William Cooper
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
15/09/1916
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
16771
Bedfordshire Regiment
8th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
GUILLEMONT ROAD CEMETERY, GUILLEMONT
XII. N. 8.
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Hitchin Town Memorial, St Mary's Church Roll of Honour, Hitchin
Pre War
William was born around 1890 in Hitchin and christened there on 6 August 1890. His parents were Jeremiah and Georgina Cooper (née Simmons) who had married in Luton in 1888.
In 1891 the family were living at 4 At Andrew’s Street, Hitchin. Present were both parents: John (52) *1 and Georgiana (31), with John working as a bricklayer. The only child was children were: William aged 1, however two of Georgina’s siblings were present Harry (11) and William C Simons (9), and Henry Warberg a brother-in-law.
*1 in subsequent census records Georgina’s husband as Jeremiah and the age has change by 10 years, however the marriage date above matches the 1911 census record for the marriage.
In 1901 the family were living at Gascoine Yard, off Queen Street, Hitchin. Present were Jeremiah (43) and Georgiana (41). Jeremiah was working as a bricklayer’s labourer. Their children were: William, Kate (2), Fred (6) and Arthur (3).
Son
By 1911 the family were living at 19 St Andrews Place, Hitchin. Present were both parents, Jeremiah now working as a general labourer in the brick trade. The census recorded they had been married for 23 years with 4 children all living. All the children listed above were present with William now 21 and working as labourer in the straw trade.
Officially William was recorded as born and living in Hitchin, when he enlisted there.
Wartime Service
He enlisted into the 8th Battalion with the Regimental Number W.16771. This Battalion was in the 16th Brigade of the 6th Division.
The 8th Battalion attacked a strongpoint known as the ‘Quadrilateral’ opposite Ginchy and Bouleaux Wood, on the 15th September 1916. Of the tanks that were supposed to have been in advance of the infantry, only one appeared and that immediately stuck in the mud. In the attack they were assisted by the Heavy Section of the Machinegun Corps. Zero hour was 6.20am with three assault waves. Quadrilateral on the left flank with ‘B’ Company attacking the trench leading to it. At 6.00am heavy artillery opened a slow barrage on the line Morval to Les Boeufs. At zero hour the barrage became more intense but was cut short leading to numerous casualties. At 6.00pm they were relieved and put into Brigade Reserve. The attack had failed and the casualties were numbered in hundreds.
He was buried in Plot 12, Row N, Grave 8 in the Guillemont Road Cemetery in France.
Additional Information
After his death £xxxxx 8s 5d was authorised to go to his widow/father/mother, xx on 15 March 1919. Later, a war gratuity of £5 was authorised to be paid to him/her, on 7 November 1919.
His pension cards record Georgeina as his mother as his next of kin, living at 17 Exchange Yard, Hitchin. She was awarded a pension of 5s a week from 3 July 1917. However, this was later changes to his father, Jeremiah, at the same address.
Acknowledgments
Adrian Dunne, David C Baines, Jonty Wild
