Albert John COOPER (1895 - 1951) (General)

by Jefff , West London, Middlesex, Wednesday, February 22, 2017, 05:00 (2831 days ago) @ Raging Jester

Hi Alex,
I expect you've already seen this prior post which mentions all the men you mention, including Albert in the Census's, but I thought I'd best mention it just in case.
http://www.forum.forest-of-dean.net/index.php?mode=thread&id=45627

Unfortunately it doesn't mention the WW1 service of Albert Cooper. However it does help illustrate that men from the Forest often joined the Welsh Regiments, and not always the Glosters as I for one assumed when I started my FH researches a few years back. I guess this is part because the Glosters' main regimental HQ depot was in Bristol, not Gloucester; plus the Forest had such strong links to Wales. This forum has seen how several Foresters joined the South Wales Borderers at Brecon, including Christoper Malson as per the prior thread. In general, many British soldiers didn't join their local/home Regiment, and even if they did they often got transferred to another one. In fact I see from the prior thread that altho' Conrad Malson did join the Glosters, he did it while in South West London... My gut feeling is that Albert would have joined the Borderers, perhaps at the same time as Christoper.

Unfortunately this may turn into a case of searching thro all the available Medal Card Records for all the various Alberts, in the hope that you'll find one who not only has his Service Records as well (not all exist, as I'm sure you know), but those Records will include mention of next-of-kin etc in Mitcheldean.

I've just done a quick search of our local newspapers using the BNA website, but sofar cannot find any reference to Albert, but it was only a very quick look, if I were you I'd search them far more thoroughly within the many lists of casualties etc. I'd have expected him to be mentioned in the local papers especially if injured; eg one of the Roll of Honour articles I transcribed into the prior post mentions several local soldiers, hopefully you'll find one about Albert. I know the papers were an important reference for this site's soldiers database, which I see doesn't include Albert, presumably because he also wasn't found in the papers etc by Martin & David ?.
http://www.forest-of-dean.net/joomla/index.php/resources/forest-of-dean-ww1-servicemen

Good luck in your searches, sorry couldn't be of more help.
Such a shame that the Gloster's own Museum cannot offer any help at all.
NOTE TO ADMIN, please consider adding Conrad Malson/Malsom to this site's WW1 list, thankyou. See prior thread for more details of his Service.