Biography of Private Leslie Cooper (55355)
B Company 12/13th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers
Formerly 37910 – 261st Infantry Battery
Died 28th March 1918

Soldier

  • Name:Leslie John Henry Cooper
  • Date of birth: 1898
  • Place of Birth: Bourne, Lincolnshire, England
  • Date of Birth Registration: April – September 1898
  • Place of Birth Registration: Bourne, Lincolnshire, England
Father

  • Name: John Henry Cooper
  • DOB: 1874
  • Place of Birth: Witham on the Hill, Lincolnshire, England
  • Occupation: Brewer’s Drayman
Mother

  • Name: Alice Mary Barnett
  • DOB: 1875
  • Place Of Birth: Bourne, Lincolnshire, England
  • Marriage: 1896 Bourne District

Siblings: (Name), (DOB), (POB)

  • Charlotte Alice Cooper, 1897, Bourne
  • Leslie John Henry Cooper, 1898, Bourne
  • Female Cooper, 1901, Bourne
  • Ronald Barnett Cooper, 1911, Bourne
  • Raymond Sydney Cooper, 1913, Bourne
Census

  • 1901: Leslie is living with his parents in Bray’s Yard, Bourne, Lincolnshire
  • 1911: Leslie is living with his parents in Manning Road, Bourne, Lincolnshire. The census gives him an age of 12 and he is listed as being at school
Relatives in services

  • None found
Marriage

  • No marriage for Leslie has been found and because of his age we can assume that he never had the opportunity to marry.

Newspaper Mentions

  • Grantham Journal Saturday 27th April 1918
    NEWS OF BOURNE BOYS – Mr and Mrs Joyce of Bedehouse Bank, have received information that their son, Pte. H.L.Joyce, Lincoln Regt., died in hospital in France, from gunshot wounds in the left thigh. Mr and Mrs J. Cooper of Manning road have had all the letters of their son, Leslie, returned marked “no address know.” They have not yet had official notice that he is missing, although one of the letters was marked to that effect. Private Martin E Barnes, a native of Bourne, attached to the Notts and Derby Regiment has been missing since March 21st. The notification came to Pte. Barnes’ sister Mrs F Hinson of Willoughby road. Pte Wm. Jackson son of Mr and Mrs Wm. Jackson of Eastgate has been taken prisoner. He is unwounded. This is the second son of Mr and Mrs Jackson who is now a prisoner of war, whist a third and younger son was killed in action some few months ago. Mrs Smallman of Elm Terrace has received official notification that her husband, Pte. E. Smallman is missing. Prior to his joining the Forces, Pte. Smallson was in the employ of Messrs. W.H. Smith and Son at their Bourne bookstall.

 

  • Nottingham Evening Post Tuesday 21st May 1918
    MISSING
    NORTHUMBERLAND FUSILIERS
    Cooper 55355 L (Bourne)

 

Military Records

Attestation Papers

  • None found
Soldier’s Died In The Great War

  • These records show that Private Leslie Cooper, 55355, 12/13th Bn Northumberland Fusiliers was killed in action on 28th March 1918 in the Western European Theatre in France and Flanders.

Pension Records

  • Available

Effects

  • Father John Henry

Medals

  • The British Medal
  • The Victory Medal

Memorials

  • UK:
  • Bourne, Roll of Honour in Bourne Abbey Church
  • Bourne War Memorial in the Memorial Gardens

 

  • Commonwealth War Graves Commission:
  • In memory of Private Leslie Cooper, 55355, “B” Coy. 12th/13th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers who died on 28th March 1918 Age 19
  • Son of John and Alice Cooper, of 2, Manning Rd., Bourne, Lincs.
  • Remembered with honour, Pozieres Memorial
  • Panel 16 to 18

© Picture taken by South Lincolnshire War Memorials

© Picture taken by South Lincolnshire War Memorials

Military Service Timeline

Sources

  • WW1 Soldier’s Records (www.ancestry.co.uk)
  • British Newspaper Archive.
  • Fold 3
  • Find My Past
  • Genealogist
  • Forces War Records
  • British Army Service Numbers
  • War Gratuity Calculator
  • Commonwealth War Graves Commission
  • National Archives – Battalion War Diaries
  • General Registry Office
  • Red Cross POW