In my line of work I have had the pleasure to meet and hear stories about some amazing people. None more so than today. This month I was invited to the home of Susan Harwood. Born in 1955 and the true definition of a “Duki Lass.” A lovely, modest, unassuming lady. But when you look into her life and her family it gives you a humbling feeling and increases my already great respect for our community and the generations of people that went before us.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of The Battle of The Somme, the largest battle of World War I on the western front. With the French and the British on one side and the Germans on the other, one of the bloodiest battle in human history was fought for over four months, finally ending on 18th November 1916. During that time over a million men were killed or wounded. The first day of the battle remains the worst day in British military history where over 57,000 casualties were recorded.
I am here today with Susan to learn about her father, Thomas Cooper. Susan is the youngest person we know of to have a father who fought at The Somme. His story is remarkable.
Thomas Cooper was born in 1896 and was a coal miner. He was conscripted to join the army to fight for his country at the breakout of the war. After spending time with his local regiment and training he was sent out to the front lines. His time at The Somme was a torrid one to say the least.
The hand of fate had mercy on this man. The trench he was in took what was pretty much a direct artillery strike. Many of his comrades were fatally and critically wounded. Thomas himself was in a pretty bad way from shrapnel wounds. The German troops entered the bunker and bayonetted anyone that showed any signs of life. A German officer kicked Thomas as he lay motionless in the bunker and said words that are understood to translate to “this one is dead” and then moved onto the next soldier. He was then rescued and taken to a military hospital.
After many months of treatment and only being able to communicate through writing things down on pieces of paper due to severe shell shock, he walked out of that hospital. Now for many people the story would end there. A war hero returning home after being wounded. Not Thomas Cooper. Thomas donned his uniform, got back on a boat and went straight back out to the front line to fight again for his country.
I am going to spend the next few weeks researching a little more into Thomas’ military record and his service with the Cheshire Fire Brigade when he returned, playing a big roll in clearing up in Liverpool and Manchester after the blitz of World War II. Tonight I will be with his daughter and her husband and brother at the war memorial in Stalybridge during the ceremony to mark the day where we will light candles for their father and their two uncles who also served in World War I, along with the other million plus casualties. One of those three brothers, James Henry Cooper, sadly never returned.
We will look more into their lives and publish as much as we can in the upcoming editions of SHMD News. For now, with the most humbleness, all I can do is thank those who went to war to fight for our freedoms and beliefs. We can watch as many videos as we want and look at the most horrific images we can find but we will never fully appreciate just what these guys went through. All I can appreciate is that I am sat here today with the freedom to write these words because generations before me laid down their lives.
Lest we forget……
Photos: (top left) Thomas Cooper returning to his Dukinfield home after a day in the coal mines. (top right) Susan Harwood lights a candle in her fathers memory at the war memorial on the anniversary of the start of the Battle of the Somme. (bottom) Thomas (second from the right at the back) with his fire service colleagues outside Barton Villa, Dukinfield where they were based.
