Sergeant James I Cooper DCM MM
18799 1st Border Regiment
Lived at 6 Leeds Street Finslay Gate

James was born in Burnley in 1881 and originally lived at 6 Leeds Street Finslay Gate. He enlisted in the Border Regiment in 1896, aged 15 and played picalo in the Regimental Band. Shortly after he went on to serve in the Boer War where he was awarded the Queens South Africa Medal with seven Clasps. At the end of the Boer war he returned to Burnley and found employment as an overlooker at a local mill and also became bandmaster for the Accrington Territorials.

In Early 1910 he emigrated to USA on board the SS Mauritania (sister ship to the Lusitania) and found employment in a weaving mill in New Bedford USA

James was still working at the mill at the start of the Great War and at some point news was received that a British ship had been sunk by the enemy, at this point some German employees celebrated by waving their hats. On seeing this James said "You Pigs" and promptly returned to England to rejoin his old regiment.

Brother of Robert Cooper MSM

Unknown Newspaper

Medals in the Towneley Hall Collection

Lusitania Memorial Card, owned by James Cooper, also in Towneley Hall