Soldier Record

I have a copy of the Staffordshire weekly dated Saturday June 28th , in which there is a column entitled WELCOME TO AUDLEY SOLDIERS which reads:

On arrival at the field , where practicaaly all the villagers were assembled, Major General Heath-Caldwell, of Linley Wood, Talke, who was accomanied by his wife Mrs Woodhouse, presented military decorations that had been won by five local men during the war. They were:

Pte. A.W.Cooper, Royal Fusiliers, of Wood Lane, Bignall End, who won the Military Medal in July 1916 in the fighting at La Boiselle and Prieres. After his battalion had retired about 400 yards, Pte. Cooper went out into the open, under heavy shell and rifle fire , and bought in a number of wounded. He was mentioned in dispatches twice for life saving during heavy bombardment in 1915 and May 1916. He saved 24 lives.

I have a postcard entitled, Happy "Tommies" wearing Hun Helmets, my grandfather is pictured front centre.

In the book, World War 1, An Illustrated History, on page 110 there is a re-production of the postcard with the caption 'Soldiers of the 13th Fusiliers resting on the Albert-Bapaume Road near Albert on 7 July 1916, after the attack on La Boiselle the previous day.

Therefore the photograph was taken at the time he won the Miltary Medal