1914 Star “Mons Star” Medal Trio – Private Edgar Joseph Hooper, 1st Battalion Somerset Light Infantry – Died of Wounds 1st December 1914
A poignant and early Great War casualty trio awarded to 7230 Pte. Edgar Joseph Hooper, 1st Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry, who died of wounds on 1st December 1914, during the appalling conditions of the first winter of trench warfare.
Comprises:
- 1914 Star, correctly impressed: 7230 PTE. E. J. HOOPER. 1/SOM:L.I.
- British War Medal and Victory Medal, both impressed: 7230 PTE. E. J. HOOPER. SOM. L. I.
Background:
Born in Culmstock, Devon, Edgar Joseph Hooper was a career soldier who enlisted at Taunton in 1904. Like many long-service men, he had been placed on the Reserve by 1914, and at the outbreak of war was working on his farm in Canada. Upon mobilisation, he returned from overseas and rejoined the Somerset Light Infantry as part of Britain’s immediate reserve mobilisation.
Although the 1st Battalion landed at Le Havre on 22 August 1914, Hooper joined them in-theatre later, disembarking in France on 11 November 1914.
He died of wounds on 1st December 1914, aged 30, and is buried at Bailleul Communal Cemetery, close to the Belgian border. He is commemorated on the Culmstock War Memorial and had lived in Wellington, Somerset. A pre-war photograph of Hooper in uniform is held by the Imperial War Museum and viewable online, adding a rare visual element to his story.
1st Battalion S.L.I. – Context of Service and Death:
Following the brutal fighting at Armentières, the 1st Somersets were ordered into the line near St. Yves and Plugstreet Wood during the first winter of trench warfare. They endured near-continuous shellfire, counter-attacks, and freezing rain in hastily-dug, poorly drained trenches lacking even basic infrastructure.
On 7 November, under cover of mist, the Germans launched a major assault near Le Gheer, breaking into front-line positions. While Hooper’s exact wounding date is not recorded, it likely occurred during this phase or from the subsequent attritional shellfire and disease that plagued the line.
By late November, the battalion’s war diary paints a grim picture: freezing conditions, flooded trenches knee-deep in filth, widespread trench foot, and daily casualties. Hooper succumbed to wounds amidst this harrowing environment, having spent barely three weeks at the front.
Summary:
A deeply emotive and early casualty trio awarded to a pre-war regular who answered the call from across the Atlantic, returning from Canada to serve in one of the most brutal phases of the early war. His short time in France — ending in death within weeks — exemplifies the fate of many Old Contemptibles who stood firm during the war’s most critical early months.
A scarce and desirable group, with local connections to Devon and Somerset, supported by a photograph in the IWM collection and a compelling narrative of early service, sacrifice, and transatlantic duty.
PLEASE NOTE: All research will be sent to the buyer via email. I am unable to provide printed copies, as I do not have access to a printer.
AJMS Medals