Part 50

=COPELAND, WILLIAM JOHN=, Corpl., No. 10666, Machine Gun Section Wellington L.I., New Zealand Expeditionary Force, 2nd _s._ of Thomas Mercer Copeland, of 30, Liffeton Street, Wanganui, New Zealand, Building Inspector etc., for Wanganui Borough Council, by his wife, Emma; _b._ Wanganui, 23 Jan. 1890; and was educated at the District High School and at Mossten, Wanganui. He joined the Defence Cadets as a boy, winning a cup for shooting at the age of 15, and afterwards attained the rank of Lieut. of the Senior Cadets acting at Capt. for eighteen months, but had to resign on leaving Wanganui for New Plymouth to take up other work. He was a Mechanical Engineer and Motor Expert by trade and on the outbreak of war volunteered for Imperial Service and joined the Wellington Infantry Battn., 18 Aug. 1914. He left New Zealand with the Main Expeditionary Force, was promoted Corpl. while in Egypt on Christmas Day, 1914, and was killed in action at Gallipoli, 2 May, 1915; _unm._ Col. Malone wrote: “When on the death of all his superior officers I placed him in charge of my four machine guns and recommended him for a commission to be my Machine Gun Officer. He was trying to locate the Turk’s fire which was harassing them when he was shot,” adding that “it was an extremely plucky act.”

=COPLAND, DUDLEY CHARLES JAMES=, 2nd Lieut., 1st Battn. Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regt.), only _s._ of Charles Copland, Professor of Singing, R.A.M; _b._ Hampstead, 2 May, 1896; educ. St. Paul’s Cathedral Choir School and Denstone College; joined the 28th Battn. (Artists’ Rifles) The London Regt., and was gazetted to the Sherwood Foresters, 2 March, 1915. He was killed in action at Aubers Ridge, 9 May, 1915, being buried in the cemetery at La Cordonnierie.

=COPLAND, LEONARD GEORGE=, Ordinary Telegraphist, J. 14426, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914.

=COPLAND, MAURICE=, Private, No. 2363, 5th (Cinque Ports) Battn. Royal Sussex Regt. (T.F.), _s._ of John Albert Copland, of Chelmsford, Solicitor, by his wife, Mary, dau. of Isaac King; _b._ Chelmsford, co. Essex, 21 Dec. 1876; educ. Chelmsford Grammar School, New College, Eastbourne, and Pembroke College, Cambridge; enlisted 8 Sept. 1914; proceeded with his regt. to the Front, and died in the Stationary Hospital, Boulogne, 21 March, 1915, while on Active Service; buried in Wimereux Military Cemetery, Boulogne Base, Grave No. 285; _unm._

=COPPINGER, CYRIL DOUGLAS=, Private, No. 12650, 1st Battn. Northamptonshire Regt., only _s._ of Col. Thomas Stephen Coppinger, of 168, Worple Road, Wimbledon, late 11th Regt., and Chief Paymaster, A.P.D. (who served in the Zulu war of 1879 and the last South African war), by his wife, Aldegonde Emily, dau. of Edward Thomas ffrench Beytagh, Q.C.; _b._ Maidstone, 26 July, 1890; educ. Wimbledon College, Edge Hill; was a journalist on the stall of the “Evening Standard,” and latterly a sub-editor on the staff of the Exchange Telegraph Co. On the outbreak of war he enlisted in the Northamptonshire Regt., joining the 1st Battn. at the Front, 2 Feb. 1915; he took part in the Battle of Neuve Chapelle, and was killed in action in a charge on the German trenches at the Aubers Ridge, between Richebourg l’Avoue and Festubert, 9 May, 1915; _unm._ He was buried north of the Rue du Bois, between Richebourg St. Vaast and Richebourg l’Avoue. In announcing his death, the “Pall Mall Gazette” stated: “He was a young man of great promise, and several of his short stories, which recently appeared in a number of London magazines, attracted considerable attention.”

=COPPINS, HUGH JOSEPH=, Stoker, 2nd Class, K. 15587, H.M.S. Pathfinder, lost when that ship was sunk by a mine, about 20 miles off the East Coast, 5 Sept. 1914.

=CORBALLY, LOUIS WILLIAM=, Capt., R.F.A., 3rd _s._ of the late Matthew James Corbally, of Rathbeale Hall, Swords, co. Dublin, J.P., D.L., by his wife, Sara Louisa, dau. of Thomas O’Kelly, of Bridge House, co. Kerry; _b._ Dublin, 27 May, 1876; educ. Stonyhurst and The Oratory School, Edgbaston; served with the Irish Hunt Yeomanry through the South African War (medal and clasps), and was gazetted Capt. R.F.A., 29 Sept. 1914. On the outbreak of the European War he left with the R.F.A. for the Front; served in France and Flanders, and died from wounds received in action, at Bailleul, near Ypres, 6 May, 1915. He _m._ at The Oratory, Brompton, London, 26 April, 1906, Nancy, 4th dau. of John Joseph Whyte, of Loughbrickland, co. Down, D.L., and had two sons and two daus.; Marcus, _b._ 29 Aug. 1907; Edward, _b._ 15 Jan. 1909; Dorothy, _b._ 25 June, 1910; and May, _b._ 29 Dec. 1912. A brother officer wrote: “Our position was on the railway about 4 miles N.E. of Ypres, and it was going back to see the first line ... about ½ a mile along the track that the shelling took place. It was more or less a chance shell but there was a good deal all three days. I can only repeat how much Capt. Corbally is regretted and missed by all ranks in the Battery. One has to censor their letters and the sympathetic allusions to him have been very touching. As you know the funeral was at Bailleul in France.”

=CORBET, SIR ROLAND JAMES=, 5th Bart., Lieut., 3rd Battn. Coldstream Guards, yr. and only surviving _s._ of the late Sir Walter Orlando Corbet, of Moreton Corbet, 4th Bart., Capt., Coldstream Guards, by his wife, Caroline Douglas (now wife of Reginald Basil Astley, of Compton Beauchamp, Shrivenham), only child of the late Capt. James Affleck Stewart, of St. Fort, Fife, 11th Hussars; _b._ 19 Park Lane, W., 19 Aug. 1892; educ. Malvern and Sandhurst; suc. his father, 20 Dec. 1910; gazetted 2nd Lieut. 3rd Battn. Coldstream Guards, 22 Jan. 1913, and promoted Lieut. 9 Dec. 1914; served with the Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders, 1914–15, and was severely wounded at La Tretoire, near Rebais, on 8 Sept. and invalided home. From 28 Oct. to 22 Dec. 1914, he was on light duty at Windsor, returning to the Front on the latter date. On 6 Feb. 1915, he led successfully a most gallant attack on the Brickfields, for which he was mentioned in Despatches [London Gazette, 22 June, 1915], and was killed in action at Givenchy, France, 15 April, 1915; _unm._

=CORBETT, GEORGE=, Stoker, 2nd Class, K. 20391, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914.

=CORBETT, MICHAEL PATRICK=, Leading Stoker, 305374, H.M.S. Pathfinder; lost when that ship was sunk by a mine, about 20 miles off the East Coast, 5 Sept. 1914.

=CORBIN, ALONZO JOSEPH=, Seaman, R.N.R., 4187A, H.M.S. Cressy; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.

=CORBYN, VERNON HECTOR=, Midshipman, R.N., only _s._ of the late Major Hector Corbyn, R.H.A., by his wife, Lylie Evelyn (Stair Lodge, Wokingham, Berks.), dau. of Samuel Orby Carey: _b._ Ely Court, Llandaff, 16 Jan. 1898; educ. “Fonthill,” East Grinstead, Osborne, 1911, and Dartmouth; joined H.M.S. Cressy, 3 Aug. 1914, with which he went down in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.

=CORDER, ERNEST=, Ordinary Seaman (R.N.V.R.), 297 (Sussex), H.M.S. Hawke; lost when that ship was torpedoed in the North Sea, 15 Oct. 1914.

=CORDER, HUGH GERALD ANNERLY=, Lieut., 2nd Battn. The Welsh Regt., only surviving _s._ of Major Arthur Annerly Corder, of Glendoone, Havant, Hants., A.O.D., D.A.D.O.S. (who served with the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force at the Dardanelles), by his wife, Lucy Ellen, dau. of George Armitage; _b._ Maesyneuadd Hall, co. Merioneth, 24 Jan. 1894: educ. Plymouth College and Sandhurst; was gazetted 2nd Lieut. in the Welsh Regt. 17 Sept. 1913, and promoted Lieut. 4 Nov. 1914; went to France with the original Expeditionary Force, took part in the retreat from Mons and the Battles of the Aisne, the Marne and Ypres, being wounded by shrapnel at the latter place on 2 Nov. and was invalided home. He returned to the Front on 9 April, and was killed while leading his men into action at Richebourg l’Avoue, 9 May, 1915; _unm._ He was buried in the British cemetery near Rue de Bois.

=CORDWELL, WILLIAM SAM=, Gunner, R.M.A. 7989 (R.F.R., B. 1103), H.M.S. Aboukir; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.

=COREN, EDWARD WALKER=, 2nd Lieut., Royal Field Artillery, only _s._ of the late John William Coren, of Guyscliffe, Gloucester, Solicitor; _b._ Gloucester 8 Feb. 1893; educ. Cheltenham College, and on leaving there did 12 months’ training at Aldershot with the R.F.A. Special Reserve. He then went to the Malay States, but on the outbreak of war returned, and was gazetted 2nd Lieut. in the Special Reserve of the R.F.A., 23 Dec. 1914, and into the Regular Army, 25 May, 1915. He went to the Front in March, and was severely wounded on the night of 14 June, 1915, while out with a party of men laying telephone wires. They had had to take shelter three times owing to the heavy shell fire. Lieut. Coren made a fourth attempt to finish the work, but he and three out of the four men with him were so severely wounded that they died the following day. The fourth man, a driver, was seriously wounded, but survived. He was buried at Ypres; _unm._ His Col. wrote speaking very highly of the work he had done while under his command. Coren was a good all-round athlete and sportsman. At Cheltenham he was a prefect and in the cricket eleven, and was considered a good bowler. He also played football and won the High Jump two years in succession. He was also an exceptionally good horseman.

=CORFIELD, HARRY=, Private, No. 6063, 2nd Battn. Scots Guards; _b._ Annagh, co. Mayo; enlisted 22 May, 1905; served with the Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders; killed in action, 16 May, 1915; _unm._

=CORK, JOHN HENRY=, Leading Seaman, 223677, H.M.S. Cressy; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.

=CORKE, ARTHUR NOEL=, Rifleman, No. 1783, 1/18th (London Irish Rifles) Battn. The London Regt. (T.F.), 3rd _s._ of George Johnson Corke, of 9, Adelaide Road, Brentford, W., Commercial Traveller, by his wife, Clara Maria, dau. of the late John Boys; _b._ Chiswick, W., 25 Dec. 1893; educ. Gunnersbury College, Chiswick, and Rothschild School, Brentford; enlisted on 7 Aug. 1914, two days after the outbreak of war, served in France and Flanders, was wounded at Loos, 25 Sept. 1915, and died at Abbeville, 15 Oct. following, being buried there; _unm._ A comrade wrote: “Corke always had a quiet and gentlemanly air about him, and was thoroughly liked by all.... With regard to his life in the trenches, he did not seem to know the meaning of fear, and always took anything in that cool fashion of his which I have often envied during a heavy shelling.... In conclusion, one can say he was a good soldier, above all a good friend.” Four of his brothers joined the Army after war was declared: one the 10th Middlesex (T.F.), two the Australian Contingent, and a third the Queen Victoria Rifles.

=CORKRAN, REGINALD SEYMOUR=, 2nd Lieut., 2nd Battn. Grenadier Guards, yst. _s._ of Col. Charles Seymour Corkran, of Chipstead, co. Surrey, late Grenadier Guards, by his wife, Florence, dau. of Sir Charles Lennox Peel, G.C.B., and gdson. of Charles Corkran, of Long Ditton, Surrey, by his wife, Georgiana Isabella, sister of the 5th Marquis of Hertford and dau. of Admiral Sir George Seymour; _b._ London, 28 June, 1890; educ. “Evelyns,” Uxbridge, and Eton. Was on the Stock Exchange, but on the outbreak of war enlisted in the Honourable Artillery Company, served eight months and was promoted Corpl. and Sergt., receiving a commission in 2nd Battn. Grenadier Guards, May, 1915. He served in France and Flanders, was seriously wounded in action by shrapnel, 7 June, 1915, and died in the Duchess of Westminster’s Hospital at Le Toquet, four days later; _unm._ He was buried at Chipstead, co. Surrey.

=CORMICAN, HUGH PATRICK=, Stoker, 1st Class (R.F.R., B. 10490), S.S. 108467 H.M.S. Hawke; lost when that ship was torpedoed in the North Sea, 15 Oct. 1914.

=CORNER, ALBERT JUST=, Private, No. 1416, 4th Battn. Cameron Highlanders (T.F.), 8th _s._ of William Corner, of Brockside, Drummond Road, Inverness, late Actuary, Savings Bank, Inverness, by his wife, Hedwig, dau. of Heinrich Wolfgang Just; _b._ Inverness, 27 July, 1895; educ. High School and Royal Academy there; joined the 4th Camerons 1913, and on the outbreak of war volunteered with his company, went to France, 19 Feb. 1915, and was killed in action at Neuve Chapelle, 12 March, 1915; _unm._ He had been trained for a bank life, and was a member of the Bankers’ Institute of Scotland. His elder brother, Otto, was also killed in action (see following notice).

=CORNER, OTTO HEINRICH=, Private, No. 22979, 14th Battn. (Royal Montreal Regt.) Canadian Expeditionary Force, 6th _s._ of William Corner, of Brookside, Drummond Road, Inverness, etc. (see preceding notice); _b._ Inverness, 7 July, 1892; educ. High School and Royal Academy there, and went to Canada 14 Aug. 1913; on the outbreak of war he volunteered for Imperial service, and joined the Royal Montreal Regt., came over with the first contingent, and was killed in action at Ploegsteert, 7 July, 1915; _unm._ Like his brother, he had been trained for a bank life, and was a member of the Bankers’ Institute of Scotland.

=CORNER, STEPHEN HENRY=, A.B., No. 118, Royal Naval Brigade, 4th _s._ of John Corner, of 5, James Armt Street, Sunderland, by his wife, Maria, dau. of John Tucker, of Sunderland; _b._ Southwick-on-Wear, co. Durham, 28 July, 1892; educ. Council Schools there; was a miner; enlisted in the Durham L.I. 23 Aug. 1914; was later transferred to the Naval Brigade; served through the Antwerp Expedition and with the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, and was killed in action in Gallipoli, 15 June, 1915; _unm._

=CORNICK, DANIEL=, Officer’s Cook, 1st Class, L. 989, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914.

=CORNISH, CHARLES LAWSON=, Lieut. 2nd Battn. Highland L.I., yr. _s._ of the late Henry Cornish, Barrister-at-Law and Co-Proprietor of the “Madras Mail,” India (died 7 June, 1915), by his wife, Emily Henrietta (Glastonbury, Lovelace Road, Surbiton), dau. of Charles William Engelbach; _b._ Brighton, 13 Aug. 1887; educ. Stoke House, near Slough, Charterhouse, and Trinity College, Cambridge (B.A.), from which he entered the Army as a University candidate. He was for some time attached to the King’s Own Yorkshire L.I., and was gazetted 2nd Lieut. Highland L.I. in June, 1909, to rank as from 18 Sept. 1909. At the beginning of 1914 he resigned his commission, and was gazetted to the Reserve of Officers. On the outbreak of war he rejoined his regt., and was with it in the retreat from Mons, and through the Battles of the Marne, the Aisne and round Ypres, and was killed in action near the last-named town, 13 Nov. 1914; _unm._ He was buried alongside the Passchendael-Becelaere Road.

=CORNISH. HENRY GEORGE WILLIAM=, A.B., J. 1249, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914.

=CORNWALL, GEOFFREY=, Private, No. 1667, 5th Battn. Royal Sussex Regt. (T.F.), _s._ of (--) Cornwall; _b._ .. June, 1896; educ. Hadlow Down (Sussex) School; was employed by Mr. H. Morriss, of Stonebridge; joined the 5th (Territorial) Battn. of the Royal Sussex Regt. about 1913; volunteered for foreign service on the outbreak of the war, and went to France 9 March, 1915, and was killed in action in the charge of the Sussex Regt. at Richebourg, 9 May, 1915; _unm._

=CORNWELL, ABIJAH=, Sergt., No. 981, 1/8th Battn. Middlesex Regt. (T.F.), 2nd _s._ of Eliphaz Cornwell, by his wife, Caroline (66, Queen’s Road, Southall, Middlesex), dau. of Joseph Brown; _b._ Southall, co. Middlesex, 5 Oct. 1877, and had been for some nine years in the employ of the Southall Gas Works when war broke out. He had joined the Southall Coy. of the Middlesex Territorials in 1908, and had risen to the rank of Sergt. He immediately volunteered for foreign service, and after going to Gibraltar with his regt., returned to England and went to France, 8 April, 1915; was wounded during the fighting at Ypres on Whit Monday, 24 May, 1915, and died in No. 13 Stationary Hospital at Boulogne on the following Friday morning, the 28th. He was a well-known and popular cricketer and footballer. He first played for the Norwood Green Cricket Club, later played for a short period for the St. James’ Electric Light Co. eleven, and then in 1906 joined the Brentford Gas Works cricket team, with which he continued to play for eight years. He _m._ at St. John’s Church, Southall, 8 Sept. 1900, Minnie Flora (66, Queen’s Road, Southall, Middlesex), dau. of William Cullen, and had six children: Eva Caroline, _b._ 31 March, 1901; Minnie Faith, _b._ 9 Dec. 1902; Dorothy Kate, _b._ 23 Dec. 1904; Ethel Mary, _b._ 19 July, 1906; Edith Florence, _b._ 20 Aug. 1908; Ida Ruth, _b._ 10 Dec. 1912 (_d._ 1915).

=CORREGAN, THOMAS HOWARD=, Bomber, No. 1037, Grenade Corps, A Coy., 8th Battn. (Winnipeg Rifles), Canadian Expeditionary Force, 3rd _s._ of the late Thomas Howard Corregan, of Nirvana Glen, Whitemouth, Manitoba, Canada, Merchant and Inventor, by his wife, Alice, dau. of William Henderson, of Kildonan, Manitoba; _b._ Springfield, Manitoba, 9 Oct. 1886; educ. Winnipeg High School; and American College, Chicago, U.S.A.; was a conductor in the employ of the Canadian Pacific Railway; volunteered and joined the Winnipeg Rifles on the outbreak of the European War, 15 Aug. 1914, and came over with the first contingent in Oct. 1914; went to France, Feb. 1915; was appointed a Bomber, 1 March, and was killed in action at Festubert, 24 May following, while leading and encouraging his bombing party with the rally call “Come on boys, follow me.” After clearing an enemy trench, he went on although wounded to capture a machine gun. His Major wrote: “I have seen, heard and read of many stories of brave conduct of our men, but what those who returned tell me of your son, is equal to any act for which men are decorated. He led the attack of the whole battn. engaged, and really took the position which we still hold. He was still leading in the gallant dash to silence the machine gun, but this cost him his life. Nothing could equal the manner in which he went after the Germans that morning, as calm as though he were out for a morning walk. We old boys of his company all believe that Corregan’s action easily won the V.C.” He was a good all-round sportsman.

=CORTIS, JOHN HALSTEAD=, 2nd Lieut., 3rd, att. 2nd, Battn. Wiltshire Regt., eldest _s._ of Arthur Brownhill Cortis, of Outspan, Downview Road, Worthing, by his wife, Lilian, dau. of Henry Alexander Papps; _b._ Worthing, 21 Dec. 1894; educ. United Service College, and Christ’s Hospital, where for two years he was in the Bisley Shooting Team. He afterwards entered the employ of the Capital and Counties Bank, and had passed the final examination of the Bankers’ Institute in all but two subjects. After the declaration of war he threw up his post and joined the Public Schools and University Corps, afterwards passing through Sandhurst, where he was promoted to Sergt. of his company and obtained his commission, 17 March, 1915. He went to France on 25 May, and was killed in action by a shell, while leading an attack on the German trenches at Givenchy, 15 June, 1915; _unm._ His battn. was not in this attack but he had volunteered to take the place of an officer who was ill. In this action out of eight officers only one returned and he was wounded in three places, and of the two companies every other man was wounded. His Col. wrote: “I took the greatest fancy to your boy when he joined us. He was extremely keen to go into action and was a first-rate soldier. The regt. feel the loss of such men as this; when we are able to do so we will erect a cross over his grave.”

=COSENS, HAROLD STANLEY FREDERICK=, Lieut., 1st Battn. East Yorkshire Regt., only _s._ of Frederick George Cosens, of Bacton, co. Norfolk, and 7 Observatory Gardens, Kensington, W., by his wife, Fanny Louisa Elizabeth, dau. of Thomas Henry Ambrose, of Copford, Essex, and Manchester Square, London; _b._ Kensington, 2 Dec. 1889; educ. St. Paul’s School and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst; gazetted to the East Yorkshire Regt. 18 Sept. 1909, and promoted Lieut. 28 Feb. 1912. He was killed in action at Neuve Chapelle, 28 Oct. 1914; _unm._ Major W. Boyle wrote: “He was my subaltern, and I never want a better, always cheery and ready for any work that came in his way, and to take on any hard job, even when out of his turn, as often happened when I wanted a man I could trust to do any difficult or jumpy piece of work. I could not want for a nicer, more cheery and hard-working officer to soldier with.... The exact circumstances are these: He had led his men to retake some trenches from the Germans, and had carried out his work successfully, and was actually in the trench, doing a kindly act to one of the enemy, who wanted to surrender, when a sniper shot him from another direction. It is extremely painful to write thus, as it was sheer bad luck! My company are very cut up indeed. He died a gallant gentleman.” He was very keen on the Boy Scout movement, and the Vicar of St. Agatha’s (the Rev. Everard Digby) records in St. Agatha’s “Messenger” for Dec. 1914: “The year before last he gave up every evening of his two months’ leave to go down to different troops in East London to teach our scouts signalling. To give up every evening, to forego such luxuries as dining out, theatres, etc., for the whole of his furlough, involved no little self-sacrifice, but he never missed once, and he was so thoroughly good tempered and patient that even the stupidest boys managed to learn a good deal from him. The fruit of all is seen in the number of our lads serving with the Colours to-day. Several of the fellows he taught are now Army or Navy Signallers, and one or two are wearing the stripes of an N.C.O. as the result of his self-sacrificing labours. One thing was certain, whether they picked up more quickly or not, every Boy Scout he taught was a better chap for knowing him.” Lieut. Cosens had been on several occasions employed with the Mounted Infantry, and had passed with distinction through the schools of Signalling and Musketry.

=COSTELLO, PETER=, Stoker, R.N.R., 2108S., H.M.S. Cressy; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.

=COSTELLOW, WILLIAM JAMES=, Stoker, 1st Class, K. 14616, H.M.S. Pathfinder; lost when that ship was sunk by a mine, about 20 miles off the East Coast, 5 Sept. 1914.