Remembering - 90th Anniversary 1914-18 -2008

[terry carter]

Remembering​

Birmingham Weekly Post Saturday December 18, 1915​

Pte Frederick Cooley, 10th Warwicks, was killed in France on November 23. He was a married man, aged 36, whose home was at 2 back 111, Clifton Road, Aston, where he leaves a widow and four children. He joined the army shortly after the outbreak of war, prior to which he was a Paviour for the Tramway Department.


When you read the entry above, concerning Pte Frederick Cooley, like me, you might think, what was a 36 year old married man with four kids doing joining the Army? I doubt he had previous military service otherwise he would have been called from the Reserves and served in either the 1st or 2nd Regular Army Battalions of the Royal Warwicks. He must have got caught up the the surge of patriotism that swept the country in the first few weeks of war starting. Germany invading Belgium, 'It will be over by Christmas', the raising of Kitchener's New Army, and of course women handing out white feathers to men not in uniform. If there was Commercial Radio in them days then the number one song, Top of the Pops' would have been Your King and Country Want You, it contained the following words:-

Oh, we don't want to lose you but we think you ought to go.
For your King and your country both need you so.
We shall want you and miss you
But with all our might and main
We shall cheer you, thank you, bless you
When you come home again.​

In hindsight, we now know, over 13,000 Brummies, did not come home​

COOLEY,FREDERICK
Rank Private Regiment/Service:Royal Warwickshire Regiment Unit Text:10th Bn.
Age:36 Date of Death:23/11/1915 Service No:7998 Husband of Eleanora Dora Cooley
Cemetery:LE TOURET MILITARY CEMETERY, RICHEBOURG-L'AVOUE

 

[Wendy]

Terry it is so sad when reading these posts. The poor wife of Fredrick also left to care for four children with no help. I can't imagine what these families went through, we do indeed owe them a great dept. Thanks again for these wonderful informative posts about our Brummy hero's. I think these men were all hero's wherever they came from!

 

[Charlie]

Thanks for posting these Terry. It puts my moans and groans into perspective. True heroes, the men and the families they left behind.

 

[Wendy]

Bringing another up to read today.

 

[Dennis Williams]

Know how you feel Terry lad. These are a few treasures from my old Nan, Hilda (nee Davies) Williams 1896 - 1997. 102 years young. Married regular soldier Bob (first pic) just as war broke out, having lost her mom when aged 8, only to see him called up first whilst on their honeymoon in Bordesley in 1914 when he was first in. One of the Old Contemptibles. He survived with just one bullet in his leg. Mended at the University of Bham casualty shelter. Mentioned in Despatches when dragging his Captain (he was his batman in Blues and Royals) back over the ridge to safety under heavy fire at Ypres. For this heroism and service he was sent to Afghanistan in 1918 for a couple more years. When he returned to civvy street he managed to put in fifty more years at the Dunlop. Nan lost two brothers meanwhile. Photos and heart wrenching hand written notes attached. They never lasted a year. Why do I cry like a baby this time of the year? Go figure...