Reginald
Firstname
John
Middle Name
Cooper
Surname
Date of Birth
School Years:
Date of Death:
1933 -41
Family
Father:Reginald Ost Cooper Mother Louie (nee Catchpole) of Ipswich.
Married Betty Mary Fenn (whose father Ernest James Edward Fenn also attended the School). There were 4 children Suzanne, Angela, Roger and Sarah.
His Uncle was Hugh Gleave, a master at the School.
School Record
He entered Broke House due to the fact that his Mother was Jack Catchpole's sister.He was an active sportsman and very keen cricketer. He showed great interest in History and World Geography.
Branch of Service:
Army - Royal Corps of Signals
Service Number:
14220508
Rank:
Decorations:
Service Record
Sergeant Major
Campaign and Service Medals and Clasp Palestine
Post War Career
He enlisted in the Royal Signals in 1942 and after training in morse, he served with No.1 Special Wireless Group in Palestine. His work was highly classified but it is believed that it was involved with the Bletchley Park network. His Commanding Officer was Captain Alfred Felix Landon "Freddie" Beeston who served in the Intelligence Corps from 1940 to 1946 in Palestine. Freddie was an orientalist best known for his studies of arabic language and literature as well as ancient Yemeni inscriptions. He became a professor of Arabic in Oxford after the War and Sub-Librarian at the Bodleian. John never spoke of his work even up to the time of his death.
On demobilisation, he trained as a baker and confectioner at the Borough Polytechnic in London, attaining his Full Technological Certificate in 1948. He then joined the family business which had premises in Ipswich (Thompsons of Tavern Street), Felixstowe (Westbrooks) and Stowmarket (Mayhews). His brother Peter and son Roger both attended Ipswich School.He also retained his links with the School by membership of the O.I. Club. He was a member of the O.I. Golfing Society, winning several competitions. He also played cricket for the O.I.s and was a loyal supporter of the School. His son, John, sadly died in 1980 but is remembered in a window of the School Library as well as a Cup presented to the O.I. Club by his parents.
Burial Information
Additional Information
Archive reference to Palestine Clasp at WO/100/526.
Obituary in The Ipswichian 1997.
Other Pictures
