Private Charles Arthur Coupe, 22nd Battalion KIA 14th March 1917

[Mark Hone]

I am trying to find out more about this soldier, one of 11 Bury Grammar School Boys commemorated on the Thiepval memorial. I have detailed information and photographs for the other 10 but not as much on this man. Just to add to the confusion the name is sometimes spelled 'Coope'. The school roll of honour lists him as a 'dispatch rider'. He came from Heywood and John Gwilliam's compendium ''Heywood: Heroes in Hell' records that a memorial tablet to him was unveiled in St. John's Church , Heywood on 5th November 1921. His surviving service records give some additional details, viz:
Private, 43582, 22nd Battalion, Manchester Regiment
Died 14th March 1917, aged 24
Born in St. Johns, Heywood, Lancashire.
Son of James and Emily Coupe (nee Openshaw) of "Fern Lea", Heywood, Lancashire. James was a cotton manufacturer. They had four children:
�   Thomas Openshaw Coupe (b. 1887)
�   Mary Coupe (b. 1888)
�   Dorothy Coupe (b. 1890)
�   Charles Arthur Coupe (b. 1892)
Educated at Bury Grammar School and spent 18 months in the O.T.C.
Resident of Heywood, Lancashire.
Employed as a clerk.
Enlisted at Manchester on 22nd September 1914 as Private 2927, 6th Battalion.
Attached to the 1/6th The King's (Liverpool Regiment) and went to France on 4th August 1916.
Attached to 22nd Battalion, Manchester Regiment on 10th August 1916 and posted on 12th September 1916.
However, I can find no obituary/photograph of him in either the Heywood Advertiser or Bury Times.
Any help in tracking down a photo would be much appreciated!

[Mark Hone]

Just bumping this up. I never got anywhere at the Heywood end despite the help of their Local Studies library. I would like to put faces to all the names of the Bury Grammar School 'Pals' and also all of the old boys commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial. I gave what information I did have to Ken and Pam Linge for incorporation on their Thiepval Memorial database.

[Mark Hone]

Just bumping this up again in case anyone has come across anything. Despite the fact that this chap was the son of a mayor of Heywood and has a memorial in the Parish Church I have been unable to discover a photograph or further details about him.

[mack]

hiya mark.
I haven't found a photo of him either,seems odd that theres no existing photo,considering he was the son of a prominent father.

mack

[Mark Hone]

Thanks, Mack, he is a bit of a mystery man. I'm determined to track down some more information about him!

[mack]

enquiries to the red cross were made by a miss c.m whitehead of Heywood and by his sister mary,sgt 20919 james grindrod sent them a reply,but it doesn't say what it was.

mack

[Mark Hone]

Thanks, Mack. Where is that information from? Miss Whitehead sounds like a girlfriend.

[Mark Hone]

I have discovered that the Imperial War Museum does have a photo of him-apparently a copy of a newspaper picture. Unfortunately it hasn't been digitised so getting a copy will be quite expensive. So there is a photo of him in a newspaper somewhere, just a question of finding which one...

[Mark Hone]

I still haven't got anywhere with this one. I did manage to confirm that his photo did not appear in the Rochdale papers so the mystery continues.

[Mark Hone]

Unfortunately the IWM would charge a lot of money for a copy of the photograph of Charles Arthur Coupe, at least £60. They did confirm that it is a copy of a newspaper photograph but frustratingly couldn't confirm which newspaper. I'll keep looking and maybe will track one down in time for inclusion in his centenary biography. Incidentally, he seems to have been known as Arthur Coupe if our school records are anything to go by.

[Mark Hone]

This is the link to the IWM website. If only I could find which newspaper the photograph came from!
http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205292740!

[Mark Hone]

Three weeks before the centenary of his death I have been contacted by a cousin of Charles Arthur Coupe's, who has sent me an excellent photograph of him.

[mack]

thats great news mark

mack

[Mark Hone]

I can't post the picture here but it will soon be available on the Centenary Roll of Honour section of our Archives website (once I get an account of the Bucquoy attack sorted out). The site, which is updated close to the centenary of each old boy's death, now contains more than 40 obituaries, including a number of Manchesters:
http://bgsarchive.co.uk/authenticated/Browse.aspx?SectionID=164&tableName=ta_boys_rollofhonour

The biography of each old boy can be read by clicking on his photograph. Amongst those to be added in the next couple of months are Manchester Pals Charles Coupe, Harry Orrell and Hubert Dawson, one of the two soldiers who chalked his name on a captured German field gun on 1st July 1916.

[Mark Hone]

Here is Charles Coupe: