Lot 3682

Description

Group of Thirteen: 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Africa Star - clasp - North Africa 1942-43; Pacific Star; Italy Star; Defence Medal 1939-45; War Medal 1939-45; Australia Service Medal 1939-45; Australian Service Medal 1945-75 - clasp - Japan; Greek War Medal 1940-41; Netherlands Commemorative War Cross - clasp - East Asia - South Pacific 1942-1945; Philippines Liberation Medal WWII; BCOF Medal - clasp - 1945. H.A.E.Cooper R.A.N. on first four medals and sixth to eighth medals, fifth medal and tenth to twelfth medals unnamed, H A E Cooper 0236 on ninth medal and H.A.E.Cooper on last medal.The ninth medal engraved, all other named medals impressed. Swing mounted in groups of nine and four but no securing pins, contact marks, otherwise very fine.

Qualified for Italy Star while seconded to Royal Navy hence it was issued through the Admiralty in England and unnamed.

Together with two stipple engraved 'Shropshire' 2 pdr shell casings, one inscribed with Shropshire ship's crest and below 'Tokio Bay/- 2-9-45 -', the other inscribed with outline map of Japan Bay area with some location names and below 'H.M.A.S. Shropshire/- 2-9-45 -'; book titled, "Porthole" Souvenir of H.M.A.S. Shropshire 1946; Free Transport Pass for Visit of HMAS Shropshire to Portsmouth, May 1946; photos of ship and crew.

Henry Alec Eliot Cooper, student, born 10Oct1912 at Katanning, Western Australia; Enl.01Jan1926 in RAN as Cadet Midshipman and gained his colours for hockey and swimming; Midshipman 01May1930, Sub Lieutenant 01Sep1932; Lieutenant 16Mar1935; Intelligence Officer HMAS Canberra 12Apr1935, Lt Commander 16Mar1947; service on various postings including HMAS Franklin, Voyager, Canberra, Australia, Sydney, Perth, Cairo and torpedoed Aug1942, Shropshire, Gladstone, Kuttabul, Cerberus and HMS Ramilles, Fearless, Amphion, Nestor during Crete operations and evacuation April and May1941 (noted under arrest for drunkenness on Nestor 23May1941), Victory; Letter of Appreciation written for Lieutenant Cooper's conduct during breakdown and salvage of Seagull A2-5 , 2nd and 3rd Sept1936; postwar service through to 1957; Retired List 09Oct1957.

In 1940 First Lieutenant Cooper went to the UK where he commissioned and worked up HMAS Nestor, serving in her in home waters on escort work. In 1941-42 he was serving in the A/A cruiser Cairo, providing A/A escort to convoys in the Irish Sea and Atlantic. In May 1942 he was serving in the Western Mediterranean with A/A escort to HM Ships Wasp and Eagle, running fighters to Malta. In June of that year he entered Malta along with five destroyers and took part in a surface action against two Italian 6-inch gun cruisers and four destroyers. In the following August, when with a Malta convoy from Gibraltar, his ship was torpedoed south of Sicily. Cooper saw service at Arawe, Cape Gloucester, the Admiralties, Hollandia, Biak, Sansapor, Morotai, Leyte, Luzon and Tokyo Bay for the Japanese surrender.

With extensive research.