Wombwell, St Mary's Church, Memorial Tablet, Capt E P Cropper MC

The embedded badges and medals are very unusual (photo taken 13 September 2014)

Links:

War Memorials Archive listing

War Memorials Online listing

Photograph by Pete Schofield

Inscription: 
In Loving Memory of / Edward Percival Cropper, M.C. / Captain & Adjutant 2nd Batt: West Yorks: / Second son of the Rev: James Cropper / Rector of this Parish / who fell in Action / at Eterpigney on the Somme / 25th March 1918, aged 21

The installation of the memorial was announced in the Barnsley Independent newspaper on 14 June 1919, p.4. 

A tablet has been erected in the chancel of the Parish Church, Wombwell, in memory of Edward Percival Cropper, M.C., Captain and Adjutant 2nd Batt. West Yorks., second son of the Rev. James Cropper, Rector of Wombwell, who fell in action at Terpigney (sic), on the Somme, 25th March, 1918, aged 21 years.

Captain Cropper is also remembered on the Wombwell War Memorial, St Mary's Church and on a memorial in St John the Baptist's Church in Penshurst, Kent, which seems to be connected to his family.

 

 Note that Captain Cropper had been awarded the Military Cross (M.C.) and a representation of the medal appears embedded in the plaque on the left. The award of the Military Cross was announced in the London Gazette on 26 September 1917, p.9974.

The cap badge of the West Yorkshire Regiment is displayed at the top of the plaque.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This citation appeared in the London Gazette on 9 January 1918, p.597, and appears to refer to his Military Cross.

 

Lt. Edward Percival Cropper, W. York. R.

For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. When his commanding officer and second in command had both become casualties he assumed command, and led his battalion with splendid ability and coolness, successfully beating off hostile counter attacks under great difficulties, and displaying a grasp of the situation and a power of coping with it which was admirable in so young an officer.

The medal on the right of the plaque is the Croix de Guerre.

 From the London Gazette 10 October 1918, p.11944:

Croix De Guerre
(names)
Lieutenant Edward Percival Cropper, M.C., West Yorkshire Regiment.
(names)

 

 

He is remembered on the Pozieres Memorial in France and commemorated on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website. 

Edward is also remembered on the Wombwell War Memorial, St Mary's Church. 
He is remembered on a memorial in St John the Baptist's Church in Penshurst, Kent too, which seems to be connected to his family.

He is remembered on the Pozieres Memorial in France and commemorated on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website.  



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