Death: Injured at Annetta, Central Avenue, Welling. Died the same day at Woolwich and District War Memorial Hospital
Address / Local links: 91 Upper Wickham Lane, Welling
Family / Relatives: Husband of Gladys Cooper
Saturday 7th September 1940 is now acknowledged to be the first day of the infamous London Blitz…’Black Saturday’ as historians now call it saw “348 German bombers, accompanied by 617 fighter planes attacked London on September 7, 1940. Around 1000 bombs and other incendiary devices were dropped on strategically important areas, like The Royal Docks. One hundred and forty six people were killed in East and West Ham alone, with the death toll across London reaching close to 500”…
Welling and East Wickham were also attacked – the first civilian casualties of the Blitz now recorded on our local memorials include Robert Christopher Cooper.
He was born on 2nd August 1908, and baptised at St. Michael’s on 27th September
The son of Robert, (a general labourer, at one time working at Woolwich Arsenal) and Annie (nee Underwood)
The 1911 Census has the family living at 1 Danson Cottages, Danson Lane, Welling, along with Sarah, Robert Cooper’s 62 year old mother, (our Robert’s grandmother)
By the outbreak of war and the 1939 Register, the Cooper family had moved to 91 Upper Wickham Lane, and by now our Robert (the son) had married, and was living with his parents and his new wife Gladys May (nee White) – they’d married in the summer of 1937.
A daughter, Josephine, was born in February 1940.
Robert was working as a hairdresser – we assume at ‘Annetta’, Central Avenue, Welling. It was here that reports tells us “Injured at Annetta, Central Avenue, Welling; died same day at Woolwich and District War Memorial Hospital”
Aged 32, he was buried at St. Michael’s on 14th September.
(Our images show Upper Wickham Lane and Central Avenue in the immediate post-war years – scenes sadly never to be seen by Robert Cooper).
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
If anyone is able to add any extra information, provide more family details, or suggest any corrections, please let us know – also, if anyone has any more photos of this individual listed on our memorials, please get in touch. Thank you.
Commemorated
- St. Michael’s East Wickham Church Memorial Tablet
- Woolwich Metropolitan Borough Civilian Records
This story has been researched by volunteers. We have taken every effort to ensure its accuracy. If you are related to Robert Christopher Cooper, or if you have any further information, please do get in touch.