Walter Cooper

A Gunner with 260th Siege Battery, Walter died on 26th of September 1917 at the age of 20. 

Walter was born at Oulton in 1896, a son of Simon George and Kathleen Maud Cooper. He was baptised at Saint Margaret’s Church on 3 February 1897. In 1901 his family lived at Oulton Street. By 1911 they were living at 1 Pretoria Terrace, Rock Estate, Oulton Broad.

Walter enlisted in the Army at Lowestoft. He joined the Royal Field Artillery, service number 885396, and was posted to the 3rd East Anglian Field Artillery (Howitzer) Brigade. His Brigade was broken up in France in December 1916 and it is likely that, at this point, Walter was transferred to the Royal Garrison Artillery, service number 316578, and posted to the East Anglian (Essex) Heavy Battery. Later he was posted to 260 Siege Battery.

There is contradiction concerning Walter’s details in the official records. Commonwealth War Graves give his unit as 260 Siege Battery, and his number as 316578. Soldiers Died in the Great Was lists his unit as East Anglian (Essex) Heavy Battery, and his service number as 316578. The Army Resister of Soldier’s Effects states that his unit was 260 Siege Battery, but gives his number as 885396 and may also indicate an earlier service number, 1188.

The difficulty in identifying unit complicates any account of what happened to Walter. However, Walter is buried next to Gunner Albert Clews, of 260 Siege Battery, and his service papers survive. Given the proximity of the two burials and the fact that the Commonwealth War Graves original records state that Walter was serving with the 260 Siege Battery is seems certain that this was his unit and that the Soldiers Died record is in error.

On 8 September 1917 260 Siege Battery were in positions at Messines. The war diary for 260 Siege Battery (WO 95/466) has the following entry for 26 September 1917:

4.25 p.m. Hostile shell fell on No 4 Gun Pit. Casualties 2 killed, 1 wounded, 3 suffering from shock.

Walter and Albert Clews were the two men killed in action on that day.