Edward Cooper was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Details

He was 21 years old, and a Sergeant in the 12th Bn., The King's Royal Rifle Corps, British Army during the First World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.

On 16 August 1917 at Langemarck , Belgium, enemy machine-guns from a concrete blockhouse 250 yards away were holding up the advance of the battalion on the left and also causing heavy casualties to Sergeant Cooper's own battalion. With four men he rushed towards the blockhouse, but although they fired at the garrison at very close range (100 yards) the machine-guns were not silenced, so Sergeant Cooper ran straight at them and fired his revolver into an opening in blockhouse. The machine-guns ceased firing and the garrison surrendered. Seven machine-guns and 45 prisoners were captured.

Further information

He later achieved the rank of Major.

The medal

please update if you know where his medal is publicly displayed

Reference

• Monuments To Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
• The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)
• VCs of the First World War - Passchendaele 1917 (Stephen Snelling, 1998)

I knew mjr cooper for a number of years, he was the most humble man i ever met form a small child he inspired me... his v.c should be at stockton and preston musem.................unless harry his son had it moved before his death

See also

External links

• Location of grave and VC medal (Cleveland)
• Sergeant Edward Cooper

This page has been migrated from the Victoria Cross Reference with permission.