William Arthur Laurie Cooper was born on 20 December 1894 the second of the eight children of Arthur Moses Cooper (1867-1934) and Elizabeth Jane Cooper née Sayer (1866-1918). His birth was registered in the 1st quarter of 1895 in the Dartford Registration District, Kent.
When the census that was compiled on 31 March 1901 he was shown as aged 6 years and living at 112 Fulwich Road, Dartford, Kent, with his parents and two siblings: Sarah May Cooper (1893-1970) and Albert Leonard Cooper (1900-1933). His father was shown as a railway goods clerk.
When his father completed his census return form on 2 April 1911 he showed William Arthur Laurie Cooper as aged 16 years and a railway clerk employed by the South Eastern and Chatham Railway, living in a six roomed property at 104 St Albans Road, Dartford, with his parents and four siblings: Sarah May Cooper; Albert Leonard Cooper - at school; Dorothy Ada Cooper (1902-1977) - also at school and Elsie Amy Cooper (1907-1961). His father stated that he too was a railway clerk employed by the South Easter and Chatham Railway and that his wife had given birth to seven children, but that only six were still alive.
He joined the Queen's Own (Royal West Surrey) Regiment, service number G/2291, at Gravesend, Kent, where he had been an Assistant Scout Master with the Gravesend Sea Scouts and entered France on 26 July 1915. Moving up the ranks from Corporal to Warrant Officer Class 2, he was serving as the Company Quartermaster Serjeant in the regiment's 'C' Company, 7th Battalion when he was killed in action, aged 23 years, on 9 April 1918. His body was buried near where he fell, but in 1920 it was exhumed and in the Boves West Communal Cemetery Extension, Chem. de la Montagne, 80440 Boves, France.
His army effects totalling £22-1s-3d were sent to his father on 29 January 1919 followed by a further payment of £1-10s-6d on 28 March 1919. His £24-0s-0d war gratuity was also sent to his father on 13 December 1919. He was posthumously awarded the 1915-1915 Star, the British War Medal 1914-1918 and the Victory Medal.
He is shown as "W. A. L. COOPER" on the Charlton war memorial at Charlton Church Lane, London, SE7. He is also commemorated on the , on the , on the , on the and on the .
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
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