Oldest Territorial Army veteran dies

Mr Cooper's birthday, in April this year, was marked by a visit from local serving Territorial Army soldiers, who brought a cake and helped him to celebrate a lifetime of service.

They wanted to thank him for taking part in the 100th anniversary celebrations of the Territorial Army last year, which was called TA100.

Brigadier Tom O'Brien, the Director of Reserves (Army) and the senior serving Territorial, said:

"None of us will forget Edwin's enthusiastic contribution to TA100 or the generation of service that he represented. He was five years older than the TA itself and he just embraced every part of the celebrations.

"In a way he was a figurehead for the TA and for all our veterans and he was a magnet for all serving Territorials."

Describing the TA unit that went to Edwin's home this April to mark his 105th birthday, Brigadier O'Brien said:

"I am so glad that we were able to join his family in marking his 105th birthday this year. He was very special and we will miss him enormously but we will never forget the generation of volunteers he came from and all they did for this country."

Edwin Cooper signed up as a TA volunteer in Oldham, Lancashire, in 1924, aged 20, and was called up the day war broke out, in 1939, to train in Folkestone for service with the Royal Army Medical Corps.

He saw active service in North Africa with the Duke of Wellington Regiment before fighting up the Italian peninsula with the Eighth Army until the end of the Second World War.

Edwin Cooper said of his service:

"I learnt many things in the TA and I am extremely proud of being a member. The comradeship was great. We could count on each other without a doubt. I loved every minute of my involvement… and would join them again tomorrow if they would have me."