Sydney Alan Cooper, RN

Born  17 Jul 1902
Died  18 Feb 1940(37)HMS Daring


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Ranks

15 Jan 1922 A/S.Lt.
15 Oct 1922 S.Lt.
15 Sep 1924 Lt.
15 Sep 1932 Lt.Cdr.
30 Jun 1938 Cdr.

Decorations

Warship Commands listed for Sydney Alan Cooper, RN


ShipRankTypeFromTo
HMS Daring (H 16)Cdr.Destroyer29 Aug 193918 Feb 1940 (+)

Career information

We currently have no career / biographical information on this officer.

Events related to this officer

Destroyer HMS Daring (H 16)


29 Aug 1939
HMS Daring (Cdr. S.A. Cooper, RN) is undocked. She departed for Hong Kong Singapore later the same day together with HMS Decoy (Cdr. E.G. McGregor, RN), HMS Defender (Lt.Cdr. St.J.R.J. Tyrwhitt, RN), HMS Delight (Cdr. M. Fogg-Elliott, RN) and HMS Duchess (Lt.Cdr. R.C.M. White, RN). (1)

1 Sep 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Daring (Cdr. S.A. Cooper, RN) arrived at Singapore. (2)

2 Sep 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Eagle (Capt. A.R.M. Bridge, RN), HMS Birmingham (Capt. E.J.P. Brind, RN) and HMS Daring (Cdr. S.A. Cooper, RN) departed Singapore to patrol off the Mentawai Islands off the west coast of Sumatra. (2)

3 Sep 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
Due to engine problems HMS Daring (Cdr. S.A. Cooper, RN) parted company with HMS Eagle (Capt. A.R.M. Bridge, RN) and HMS Birmingham (Capt. E.J.P. Brind, RN) and returned to Singapore where she arrived later the same day. (2)

14 Sep 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Duncan (Capt. G.R.B. Back, RN), HMS Dainty (Cdr. F.M. Walton, RN) and HMS Daring (Cdr. S.A. Cooper, RN) departed Singapore for Colombo. (2)

17 Sep 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Duncan (Capt. G.R.B. Back, RN), HMS Dainty (Cdr. F.M. Walton, RN) and HMS Daring (Cdr. S.A. Cooper, RN) arrived at Colombo from Singapore. (2)

19 Sep 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Duncan (Capt. G.R.B. Back, RN), HMS Dainty (Cdr. F.M. Walton, RN) and HMS Daring (Cdr. S.A. Cooper, RN) departed Colombo for Aden. (2)

25 Sep 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Duncan (Capt. G.R.B. Back, RN), HMS Dainty (Cdr. F.M. Walton, RN) and HMS Daring (Cdr. S.A. Cooper, RN) arrived at Aden from Colombo. (2)

26 Sep 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Duncan (Capt. G.R.B. Back, RN), HMS Dainty (Cdr. F.M. Walton, RN) and HMS Daring (Cdr. S.A. Cooper, RN) departed Aden for Alexandria. (2)

30 Sep 1939
HMS Duncan (Capt. G.R.B. Back, RN), HMS Dainty (Cdr. F.M. Walton, RN) and HMS Daring (Cdr. S.A. Cooper, RN) arrived at Alexandria where they joined the Mediterranean Fleet. (2)

10 Oct 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Malaya (Capt. I.B.B. Tower, DSC, RN), HMS Glorious (Capt. G. D’Oyly-Hughes, DSO and Bar, DSC, RN), HMS Daring (Cdr. S.A. Cooper, RN) and HMS Bulldog (Lt.Cdr. J.S.M. Richardson, RN) transited the Suez Canal and set course for Aden. (3)

13 Oct 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Malaya (Capt. I.B.B. Tower, DSC, RN), HMS Glorious (Capt. G. D’Oyly-Hughes, DSO and Bar, DSC, RN), HMS Daring (Cdr. S.A. Cooper, RN) and HMS Bulldog (Lt.Cdr. J.S.M. Richardson, RN) arrived at Aden from the Mediterranean. (3)

14 Oct 1939
HMS Malaya (Capt. I.B.B. Tower, DSC, RN), HMS Glorious (Capt. G. D’Oyly-Hughes, DSO and Bar, DSC, RN), HMS Daring (Cdr. S.A. Cooper, RN) and HMS Bulldog (Lt.Cdr. J.S.M. Richardson, RN) departed Aden to patrol off the Gulf of Aden (Socotra area). (3)

18 Oct 1939
HMS Daring (Cdr. S.A. Cooper, RN) fuelled at sea from HMS Malaya (Capt. I.B.B. Tower, DSC, RN).

After Daring completed fuelling, HMS Bulldog (Lt.Cdr. J.S.M. Richardson, RN) fuelled from HMS Glorious (Capt. G. D’Oyly-Hughes, DSO and Bar, DSC, RN). (4)

22 Oct 1939
HMS Malaya (Capt. I.B.B. Tower, DSC, RN), HMS Glorious (Capt. G. D’Oyly-Hughes, DSO and Bar, DSC, RN), HMS Daring (Cdr. S.A. Cooper, RN) and HMS Bulldog (Lt.Cdr. J.S.M. Richardson, RN) returned to Aden from patrol. (3)

23 Oct 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Malaya (Capt. I.B.B. Tower, DSC, RN), HMS Glorious (Capt. G. D’Oyly-Hughes, DSO and Bar, DSC, RN) and HMS Daring (Cdr. S.A. Cooper, RN) departed Aden to patrol off the Gulf of Aden (Socotra area). (3)

30 Oct 1939
HMS Malaya (Capt. I.B.B. Tower, DSC, RN) and HMS Glorious (Capt. G. D’Oyly-Hughes, DSO and Bar, DSC, RN) and HMS Daring (Cdr. S.A. Cooper, RN) had a rendez-vous with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary tanker Plumleaf (5916 GRT, built 1917) off Socotra.

HMS Malaya and HMS Daring fuelled from Plumleaf. (3)

3 Nov 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Malaya (Capt. I.B.B. Tower, DSC, RN) and HMS Glorious (Capt. G. D’Oyly-Hughes, DSO and Bar, DSC, RN) and HMS Daring (Cdr. S.A. Cooper, RN) were joined at sea by HMS Bulldog (Lt.Cdr. J.S.M. Richardson, RN). (5)

4 Nov 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Daring (Cdr. S.A. Cooper, RN) fuelled at sea from HMS Malaya (Capt. I.B.B. Tower, DSC, RN).

After Daring completed fuelling, HMS Bulldog (Lt.Cdr. J.S.M. Richardson, RN) fuelled from HMS Glorious (Capt. G. D’Oyly-Hughes, DSO and Bar, DSC, RN). (6)

8 Nov 1939
HMS Malaya (Capt. I.B.B. Tower, DSC, RN) and HMS Glorious (Capt. G. D’Oyly-Hughes, DSO and Bar, DSC, RN), HMS Daring (Cdr. S.A. Cooper, RN) and HMS Bulldog (Lt.Cdr. J.S.M. Richardson, RN) arrived at Aden from patrol. (6)

10 Nov 1939
HMS Malaya (Capt. I.B.B. Tower, DSC, RN) and HMS Glorious (Capt. G. D’Oyly-Hughes, DSO and Bar, DSC, RN), HMS Daring (Cdr. S.A. Cooper, RN) and HMS Bulldog (Lt.Cdr. J.S.M. Richardson, RN) again departed Aden for patrol off Socotra. (6)

14 Nov 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Malaya (Capt. I.B.B. Tower, DSC, RN) and HMS Glorious (Capt. G. D’Oyly-Hughes, DSO and Bar, DSC, RN), HMS Daring (Cdr. S.A. Cooper, RN) and HMS Bulldog (Lt.Cdr. J.S.M. Richardson, RN) had a rendez-vous with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary tanker Plumleaf (5916 GRT, built 1917) off Socotra.

HMS Malaya, HMS Daring and HMS Bulldog fuelled from Plumleaf. (6)

18 Nov 1939
HMS Malaya (Capt. I.B.B. Tower, DSC, RN), HMS Glorious (Capt. G. D’Oyly-Hughes, DSO and Bar, DSC, RN), HMS Daring (Cdr. S.A. Cooper, RN) and HMS Bulldog (Lt.Cdr. J.S.M. Richardson, RN) anchored off Socotra.

Here they were joined by HMS Ramillies (Capt. H.T. Baillie-Grohman, OBE, DSO, RN) and HMS Delight (Cdr. M. Fogg-Elliott, RN) coming from Aden.

HMS Daring then parted company and proceeded to Aden. (6)

19 Nov 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Daring (Cdr. S.A. Cooper, RN) arrived at Aden. She departed for Suez later the same day. She was to proceed to Malta for a short refit. (7)

22 Nov 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Daring (Cdr. S.A. Cooper, RN) arrived at Suez, transited the Suez Canal and then departed Port Said for Malta. (7)

25 Nov 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Daring (Cdr. S.A. Cooper, RN) arrived at Malta where she was taken in hand for refit. (7)

27 Dec 1939
HMS Daring (Cdr. S.A. Cooper, RN) departed Malta for Gibraltar. She is to proceed to the U.K. to join the Home Fleet. First trials and exercises were to be carried out off Malta. (7)

30 Dec 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Daring (Cdr. S.A. Cooper, RN) arrived at Gibraltar. (7)

31 Dec 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Dunnottar Castle (Capt.(Retd.) H.E.H. Spencer-Cooper, RN) departed Gibraltar for Belfast. She was escorted by the destroyer HMS Daring (Cdr. S.A. Cooper, RN) and the sloop HMS Scarborough (Cdr. J.H. Ruck-Keene, RN). (8)

2 Jan 1940
HMS Daring (Cdr. S.A. Cooper, RN) attacked an A/S contact off Cape Roca, Portugal with depth charges. No German submarine was attacked on that day so the contact must have been bogus.

7 Jan 1940
HMS Dunnottar Castle (Capt.(Retd.) H.E.H. Spencer-Cooper, RN), HMS Daring (Cdr. S.A. Cooper, RN) and HMS Scarborough (Cdr. J.H. Ruck-Keene, RN) arrived at Belfast. (9)

8 Jan 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Daring (Cdr. S.A. Cooper, RN) departed Belfast for Portsmouth. (7)

9 Jan 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Daring (Cdr. S.A. Cooper, RN) arrived at Portsmouth from Belfast. (7)

11 Jan 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Daring (Cdr. S.A. Cooper, RN) was taken in hand for urgent repairs at Portsmouth. (7)

29 Jan 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
With her repairs completed, HMS Daring (Cdr. S.A. Cooper, RN), departed Portsmouth for the Clyde. (7)

30 Jan 1940

Convoy TC 3.

This convoy of troopships departed Halifax on 30 January 1940 for the Clyde where it arrived on 7 February 1940.

The convoy was made up of the following troopships / liners; Aquitania (British, 44786 GRT, built 1914, carrying 2733 troops), Chobry (Polish, 11442 GRT, built 1939, number of troops unknown), Empress of Australia (British, 21833 GRT, built 1914, carrying 1577 troops), Empress of Britain (British, 42348 GRT, built 1931, carrying 1588 troops) and Monarch of Bermuda (British, 22424 GRT, built 1931, carrying 1334 troops),

Close escort was provided on leaving Halifax by the battleships HMS Malaya (Capt. I.B.B. Tower, DSC, RN), HMS Valiant (Capt. H.B. Rawlings, OBE, RN), light cruiser HMS Enterprise (Capt. H.J. Egerton, RN) and the destroyers HMS Hunter (Lt.Cdr. L. de Villiers, RN), HMCS Fraser (Cdr. W.N. Creery, RCN), HMCS Ottawa (Capt. G.C. Jones, RCN), HMCS Restigouche (Lt.Cdr. H.N. Lay, RCN) and HMCS St. Laurent (Lt.Cdr. H.G. de Wolf, RCN). These Canadian destroyers remained with the convoy until the afternoon of February 1st when they set course to return to Halifax. HMS Enterprise remained with the convoy until about 25°W when she parted company with the convoy in the afternoon 4 February to return to Halifax.

When the convoy approached the British isles, the destroyers HMS Faulknor (Capt. A.F. de Salis, RN), HMS Fame (Cdr. P.N. Walter, RN), HMS Fearless (Cdr. K.L. Harkness, RN), HMS Firedrake (Lt.Cdr. S.H. Norris, DSC, RN), HMS Foresight (Lt.Cdr. G.T. Lambert, RN), HMS Fortune (Cdr. E.A. Gibbs, DSO, RN), HMS Foxhound (Lt.Cdr. G.H. Peters, RN), HMS Fury (Cdr. G.F. Burghard, RN), HMS Daring (Cdr. S.A. Cooper, RN) and HMS Diana (Lt.Cdr. E.G. Le Geyt, RN) departed the Clyde on 2 February. HMS Delight (Cdr. M. Fogg-Elliot, RN) departed Portsmouth on the 3rd also to join the convoy. They joined the convoy in the morning of the 5th with the exception of HMS Delight which had been detached as she was unable to join on time. She was replaced by the destroyers HMS Kelvin (Lt.Cdr. J.L. Machin, RN) and HMS Kingston (Lt.Cdr. P. Somerville, DSO, RN).

The convoy arrived in the Clyde on the 7th. (10)

31 Jan 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Daring (Cdr. S.A. Cooper, RN) arrived at Greenock from Portsmouth. (7)

2 Feb 1940
HMS Faulknor (Capt. A.F. de Salis, RN), HMS Fame (Cdr. P.N. Walter, RN), HMS Fearless (Cdr. K.L. Harkness, RN), HMS Firedrake (Lt.Cdr. S.H. Norris, DSC, RN), HMS Foresight (Lt.Cdr. G.T. Lambert, RN), HMS Fortune (Cdr. E.A. Gibbs, DSO, RN), HMS Foxhound (Lt.Cdr. G.H. Peters, RN), HMS Fury (Cdr. G.F. Burghard, RN), HMS Daring (Cdr. S.A. Cooper, RN) and HMS Diana (Lt.Cdr. E.G. Le Geyt, RN) departed the Clyde for convoy escort duty.

Later the same day the destroyers HMS Kelvin (Lt.Cdr. J.L. Machin, RN) and HMS Kingston (Lt.Cdr. P. Somerville, DSO, RN) also sailed.

[See the event ' Convoy TC 3 ' for 30 January 1940 for more information on this convoy.]

7 Feb 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Daring (Cdr. S.A. Cooper, RN) returned to the Clyde as part of the escort of convoy TC 3.

8 Feb 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Daring (Cdr. S.A. Cooper, RN) departed the Clyde to escort the tanker British Governor (6840 GRT, built 1926) and the former German merchant vessel Ilsenstein (8216 GRT, built 1904) to Scapa Flow.

[Ilsenstein was about to be scapped in Britain when war commenced, She was scuttled as blockship at Scapa Flow on 18 February 1940.]

10 Feb 1940
HMS Daring (Cdr. S.A. Cooper, RN), the tanker British Governor (6840 GRT, built 1926) and the former German merchant vessel Ilsenstein (8216 GRT, built 1904) arrived at Scapa Flow.

HMS Daring, with British Governor departed Scapa Flow later the same day for Rosyth. They were joined on the 10th by the destroyer HMS Diana (Lt.Cdr. E.G. Le Geyt, RN) and the tanker Housatonic (5559 GRT, built 1919) which came from Muckle Flugga. (7)

11 Feb 1940
HMS Daring (Cdr. S.A. Cooper, RN), HMS Diana (Lt.Cdr. E.G. Le Geyt, RN) and the tankers British Governor (6840 GRT, built 1926) and Housatonic (5559 GRT, built 1919) arrived at Rosyth. (7)

15 Feb 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Daring (Cdr. S.A. Cooper, RN) departed Rosyth for convoy escort duty. [See the event 'convoy HN 12 ' for 16 February 1940 for more information.]

She attacked an A/S contact north of Kinneard Head in position 58°10'N, 01°45'W. (most likely a bogus contact).

Media links


U-Boat Attack Logs

Daniel Morgan and Bruce Taylor


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(£ 38.25)

Sources

  1. ADM 53/108210
  2. ADM 53/108211
  3. ADM 53/108212
  4. ADM 53/107913 + ADM 53/108212
  5. ADM 53/107914
  6. ADM 53/109673
  7. ADM 199/2552
  8. ADM 53/108442
  9. ADM 53/112083
  10. ADM 199/367 + ADM 199/393

ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.


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