Memorial to Lieutenant Colonel Neville Bowes Elliott-Cooper, VC, DSO, MC, Royal Fusiliers. Youngest son of Sir Robert Elliott-Cooper and Fanny Leetham, daughter of William Leetham. Educated at Eton and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. Commissioned into the Royal Fusiliers in 1908 and saw action in South Africa, Mauritius and India. He served during WW1 and in Mar 1916, was awarded a Military Cross for his part in operations against the Chord at the Hohenzollern Redoubt. On 18 Jul 1917, he earned a Distinguished Service Order for rallying his battalion when they had become disorganised and leading a patrol of 20 men forward to capture 20 of the enemy and securing vital information. He was promoted to Temporary Lieutenant-Colonel and given command of the 8th (Service) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers. On 30 Nov 1917 when aged 28, he was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions east of La Vacquerie, near Cambrai, France during the Battle of Cambrai.
The citation reads:
"For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty. Hearing that the enemy had broken through our outpost line, he rushed out of his dug-out, and on seeing them advancing across the open he mounted the parapet and dashed forward calling upon the Reserve Company and details of the Battalion Headquarters to follow. Absolutely unarmed, he made straight for the advancing enemy, and under his direction our men forced them back 600 yards. While still some forty yards in front he was severely wounded. Realising that his men were greatly outnumbered and suffering heavy casualties, he signalled to them to withdraw, regardless of the fact that he himself must be taken prisoner. By his prompt and gallant leading he gained time for the reserves to move up and occupy the line of defence". The London Gazette, 12 Feb 1918.
He was taken prisoner and died of his wounds in a prisoner of war camp in Hannover, Germany aged 29 years. He is buried in grave V. A. 16. of Hamburg Ohlsdorf Cemetery (Friedhof Ohlsdorf) - see Find a Grave Memorial 9987096. His Victoria Cross is on display at the Royal Fusiliers Museum in the Tower of London. He is also commemorated on a memorial plaque in Ripon Cathedral in Ripon, North Yorkshire and on a memorial at Eton College.
The citation reads:
"For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty. Hearing that the enemy had broken through our outpost line, he rushed out of his dug-out, and on seeing them advancing across the open he mounted the parapet and dashed forward calling upon the Reserve Company and details of the Battalion Headquarters to follow. Absolutely unarmed, he made straight for the advancing enemy, and under his direction our men forced them back 600 yards. While still some forty yards in front he was severely wounded. Realising that his men were greatly outnumbered and suffering heavy casualties, he signalled to them to withdraw, regardless of the fact that he himself must be taken prisoner. By his prompt and gallant leading he gained time for the reserves to move up and occupy the line of defence". The London Gazette, 12 Feb 1918.
He was taken prisoner and died of his wounds in a prisoner of war camp in Hannover, Germany aged 29 years. He is buried in grave V. A. 16. of Hamburg Ohlsdorf Cemetery (Friedhof Ohlsdorf) - see Find a Grave Memorial 9987096. His Victoria Cross is on display at the Royal Fusiliers Museum in the Tower of London. He is also commemorated on a memorial plaque in Ripon Cathedral in Ripon, North Yorkshire and on a memorial at Eton College.
Memorial to Lieutenant Colonel Neville Bowes Elliott-Cooper, VC, DSO, MC, Royal Fusiliers. Youngest son of Sir Robert Elliott-Cooper and Fanny Leetham, daughter of William Leetham. Educated at Eton and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. Commissioned into the Royal Fusiliers in 1908 and saw action in South Africa, Mauritius and India. He served during WW1 and in Mar 1916, was awarded a Military Cross for his part in operations against the Chord at the Hohenzollern Redoubt. On 18 Jul 1917, he earned a Distinguished Service Order for rallying his battalion when they had become disorganised and leading a patrol of 20 men forward to capture 20 of the enemy and securing vital information. He was promoted to Temporary Lieutenant-Colonel and given command of the 8th (Service) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers. On 30 Nov 1917 when aged 28, he was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions east of La Vacquerie, near Cambrai, France during the Battle of Cambrai.
The citation reads:
"For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty. Hearing that the enemy had broken through our outpost line, he rushed out of his dug-out, and on seeing them advancing across the open he mounted the parapet and dashed forward calling upon the Reserve Company and details of the Battalion Headquarters to follow. Absolutely unarmed, he made straight for the advancing enemy, and under his direction our men forced them back 600 yards. While still some forty yards in front he was severely wounded. Realising that his men were greatly outnumbered and suffering heavy casualties, he signalled to them to withdraw, regardless of the fact that he himself must be taken prisoner. By his prompt and gallant leading he gained time for the reserves to move up and occupy the line of defence". The London Gazette, 12 Feb 1918.
He was taken prisoner and died of his wounds in a prisoner of war camp in Hannover, Germany aged 29 years. He is buried in grave V. A. 16. of Hamburg Ohlsdorf Cemetery (Friedhof Ohlsdorf) - see Find a Grave Memorial 9987096. His Victoria Cross is on display at the Royal Fusiliers Museum in the Tower of London. He is also commemorated on a memorial plaque in Ripon Cathedral in Ripon, North Yorkshire and on a memorial at Eton College.
The citation reads:
"For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty. Hearing that the enemy had broken through our outpost line, he rushed out of his dug-out, and on seeing them advancing across the open he mounted the parapet and dashed forward calling upon the Reserve Company and details of the Battalion Headquarters to follow. Absolutely unarmed, he made straight for the advancing enemy, and under his direction our men forced them back 600 yards. While still some forty yards in front he was severely wounded. Realising that his men were greatly outnumbered and suffering heavy casualties, he signalled to them to withdraw, regardless of the fact that he himself must be taken prisoner. By his prompt and gallant leading he gained time for the reserves to move up and occupy the line of defence". The London Gazette, 12 Feb 1918.
He was taken prisoner and died of his wounds in a prisoner of war camp in Hannover, Germany aged 29 years. He is buried in grave V. A. 16. of Hamburg Ohlsdorf Cemetery (Friedhof Ohlsdorf) - see Find a Grave Memorial 9987096. His Victoria Cross is on display at the Royal Fusiliers Museum in the Tower of London. He is also commemorated on a memorial plaque in Ripon Cathedral in Ripon, North Yorkshire and on a memorial at Eton College.
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