George Cooper (British Army officer)

General Sir George Leslie Conroy Cooper, GCB, MC, DL (10 August 1925 – 6 January 2020) was a senior British Army officer who served as Adjutant-General to the Forces from 1981 to 1984.

Sir George Cooper
Birth nameGeorge Leslie Conroy Cooper
Born(1925-08-10)10 August 1925
London, England[1]
Died6 January 2020(2020-01-06) (aged 94)
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branchBritish Army
Years of service1945–1984
RankGeneral
Service number357063
UnitRoyal Engineers
Commands heldSouth East District (1979–81)
South West District (1974–75)
19th Airportable Brigade (1969–71)
Battles/warsKorean War
AwardsKnight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
Military Cross

Military career

Educated at Downside School and Trinity College, Cambridge, George Cooper was commissioned into the Royal Engineers in 1945.[2] He joined the Bengal Sappers & Miners.[3] He served in the Korean War and was awarded the Military Cross for his service in that campaign.[4]

Cooper became Commander Royal Engineers in the 4th Infantry Division in 1966. He went on to become Commander, 19th Airportable Brigade in 1969, General Officer Commanding South West District in 1974 and Director of Army Staff Duties in 1976. After that he became General Officer Commanding South East District in 1979.[5] He became Adjutant General in 1981,[6] before retiring in 1984.[3]

Cooper was appointed ADC General to the Queen in 1982,[7] retaining that status until 1984.[8] He was also appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in 1979,[9] and a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in 1984.[10]

Later life and death

In retirement, Cooper became a member of the Board of Management of GEC UK.[3] He also became a Deputy Lieutenant of Essex,[11] and released the book Fight, Dig and Live about the part the Royal Engineers played in the Korean War.[12]

He died in January 2020 at the age of 94.[13]

Family

In 1957 Cooper married Cynthia Mary Hume and they had one son and one daughter.[3]

References
  1. Obituaries, Telegraph (13 February 2020). "General Sir George Cooper, who led his men in Korea under deadly mortar fire – obituary". The Telegraph – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
  2. "No. 37297". The London Gazette (Supplement). 9 October 1945. p. 4936.
  3. Debrett's People of Today 1994
  4. "No. 40036". The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 December 1953. p. 6652.
  5. "No. 48511". The London Gazette (Supplement). 3 February 1981. p. 1564.
  6. "No. 48574". The London Gazette (Supplement). 7 April 1981. p. 5046.
  7. "No. 49069". The London Gazette (Supplement). 3 August 1982. p. 10134.
  8. "No. 49754". The London Gazette. 5 June 1984. p. 7748.
  9. "No. 47869". The London Gazette (Supplement). 16 June 1979. p. 2.
  10. "No. 49583". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 1983. p. 2.
  11. "No. 52244". The London Gazette. 15 August 1990. p. 13319.
  12. Cooper, General Sir George (2011). Fight, Dig and Live: The Story of the Royal Engineers in the Korean War. Pen and Sword. ISBN 978-1848846845.
  13. "Announcements". The Telegraph. Retrieved 9 January 2020. General Sir George Leslie Conroy, GCB, MC, DL. Died peacefully on 6th January 2020, aged 94.
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