Albert Bartholomew Cooper

This story is shared by the Trust with kind permission from John Hamblin, Researcher.

Albert Bartholomew Cooper, Sergeant 6854915, 12th (2nd Battalion the Queen’s Westminster) Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps. Killed in action on the 7th of August 1944, aged 31.

Albert Bartholomew “Bart” Cooper was born at Chiswick, Middlesex on the 24th of August 1912 the third son of Arthur Henry Cooper, a bookseller, and Alice Maria Cooper (née Smith) of 253, Jersey Road, Isleworth in Middlesex. He was christened at St Michael’s Church, Chiswick on the 13th of October 1912.

He was married in 1941 to Joan Mary Cooper (née Chandler) and they lived with his parents.
The 12th Battalion King's Royal Rifle Corps landed in Normandy on the 14th of June 1944 and by early August they had advanced to the area of Mount Pinçon where they were confronted by strong pockets of resistance from German troops who were dug in on its southern slopes on a line running from Mount Pinçon to Le Plessis Grimoult.

On the morning of the 7th of August 1944, orders came through for the battalion to clear a large chateau and the thick woods in its grounds near the village of Danvou. There was no intelligence available as to the strength of enemy forces in the area. The plan was that the main road near the village would be seized after which the southern portion of the village would be taken before the battalion was to clear the nearby woods.

When the attack began, A Company soon gained control of the road, but C Company was immediately counter-attacked and forced to dig in near the chateau where two of their positions were overrun. B Company, along with two Troops of tanks from the 4/7th Dragoon Guards moved forward to help them. They seized a crossroads near the chateau but they, and the survivors of C Company, spent the rest of the day under mortar and shell fire. They were relieved by the 4th Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment during the night. Albert Cooper was killed during the fighting.

He is buried at Banneville-La-Campagne War Cemetery Plot XVI Row E Grave 12 and he is commemorated on the war memorial at Lloyd’s of London.

British Normandy Memorial - Additional Information

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