Private William Harry Cooper
| Date of Birth | c. 1893 |
|---|---|
| Age at Death | 25 |
| Date of Death | 25 March 1918 |
| Service Number | 319685 |
| Military Service | 2nd Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment |
| Merton Address | 6 Clarendon Road |
| Local Memorial | Christ Church, Colliers Wood |
Additional Information
William was born in October 1893 to Reuban, a farm worker from Haughton, Huntingdonshire, and his wife Mary. He grew up at in a farm cottage, 21 Porch Farm, Old Hurst, Hunts with his younger brother Albert and sister Mabel who were born in 1897 and 1898.
There is no record of him or his family on the 1911 census but in August 1914 he enlisted in the Northamptonshire Regiment, 2nd Battalion, Service number 3/9685. This was a new regiment which was formed in the summer of 1914 and first saw action in Neuve Chappelle in December 1914. His regiment was at the Battle of the Somme in 1916 and the Battle of Ypres the following year.
On 21 January 1918, William married his sweetheart Kate Ellen Watts at St Paul Church, Weymouth in Dorset and they settled at Dorset Villa, 6 Clarendon Road, Colliers Wood. Shortly after his marriage he returned to France and his Battalion was involved in the First Battles of the Somme in March 1918. His remains were not identified after the battle and according to the War Gratuity records he was “presumed dead” on 25 March 1918.
He is remembered on the Pozieres Memorial, Picardie and at Christchurch, Colliers Wood.