LATE CAPTAIN COOPER

Nelson Evening Mail, 20 November 1916, Page 4

LATE CAPTAIN COOPER

OLD BOY OF NELSON COLLEGE

A MOST INTREPID FIGHTER

COMRADES EXPRESS SYMPATHY.

Mnior Hubbard,, officer commanding ,the No. 11 Squadron of the Roya'l Flying- C'orps in 'France, in'a letter t6 Mr Justice Cooper, says: "I have to confirm the sad news; that you will hay© heard, that your 'gallant son- was v killed yesterday morning (September 20) about 9 o'clock". (His Nieuport'• Scoiit fell when about 200 feet up. and lie died a quarter of' an-•'•hour afterwards without' recovering consciousness. I am'glad to say that he suffered no pain at all. . He was buried with as full' military honours as was possible under active service conditions. About IS of his brother officers, 80 n.c.o.'s, and men and a firing party followed him to the graveside,' where the service was conducted by Captain Ford, the iPresbyterian Army Chaplain. As wood and labour are very scarce here, coffins are not generally provided', but two of the n.c.oV and a mechanic, nilskilled wood-workers, voluntarily gave up their night's rest and made one, in which he was btiried. On a brass plate, screwed to the lid, the following inscription was punched, as we had no .ma- , terials for engraving: 'Captain H. A. .. Coper, R.F.C., S.R. ~ Killed, .on active service, 21-6-16. Honoured and respected by all.' I cannot adequately tell you how ' much we all- loved and\admired 1 -. your son. To me it is a very, great, personal loss. Not only was 'he a most admirable Flight (Commander, a highly, skilled flyer, and a most intrepid fighter, but he was the cleanest, straightest, truest man I have ever met. He lias had very many fights in the air—his. last on the 18th', when lie pursued 11 hostile aeroplanes, and attacked them single-handed. iTe has left a gap in the Squadron that cannot be filled, but we shall always'remember him with pride and affection. 'V.Y'itij very sincere sympathy . with you-, believe me, yours sincerely, 1. O'B. Hubbard, Major." ! Major'.Hubbard also forwards the following message received' by himself from the Anti-Aircraft Gunners: "All the . -Archies in the Third Army want to send their deepest sympathy to you and", all No. 11 Souadron for' the loss you have sustained in Captain Cooper's death. We know that you have lost one of your best men," and one whose in the air-we have all admired.'? The .Rev. A. H. Ford, who officiated' at the funeral of Captain Cooper, in a. letter to Judge Cooper, says: "I trust'it mav be some comfort to • you in your great~k>ss to know how greatly he "was esteemed and loved in the Corps, which < was shown at his funeral by the respect paid to him by > officers and men. . He is buried in'- v Aubi»ne_y Cemetery, two miles east of Berles, nine miles north-west of Arras." Lieut. A. King writes: "I 'was your son's' observer during a Jong period out • here in France, and, there was no pilot with whom I felt morevconfident. He was liked everywhere he' went, and '-was n great-friend 1 ., of mine and of ever* one else in No. 11 S< ladron. Whenever a difficult task was allotted to him he always saw it through regardless of the danger. I was very fond of him indeed,, and feel his loss moro than 1 can say. Het-hert was one of the noblest fellows I have ever had the honour to know" inti, f matelv."