Today | News | Books | Recipes Adventure | Science Fiction | Ghost stories | Poetry | Children | History Bookd. It was open ground, and the bullets were whizzing over us pretty rapid. About 80 yards in front of us lay a fellow of the Queen's, badly wounded. Seeing that he couldn't crawl in, Couper ran out to him, cut his equipment off, and with the help of Corpl. Palmer, who had run out afterwards, got the wounded fellow on his back. He then carried him in by himself. There were only a few of us who saw this, and hardly any one else heard about it. There are a good many brave actions done out here which nobody hears about. I think if any one deserves the D.C.M. it is Private Couper." His elder brother, Corpl. W. F. Couper, 4th Middlesex Regt., was taken prisoner at the Battle of Mons, and is now (1916) confined at Senneläger. [Illustration: =Walter Couper.=] =COUPLAND, HENRY=, Lieut., 5th Battn. King's Own Royal Lancaster Regt. (T.F.), only _s._ of Lieut.-Col. Henry Coupland, of Stonewell, Lancaster, V.D., 5th Battn. King's Own Royal Lancaster Regt., now commanding the National Reserves at Lewes, Sussex, by his wife, Lilliere, dau. of Charles Innocent; _b._ Lancaster, 15 Dec. 1894; educ. Royal Lancaster Grammar School; gazetted 2nd Lieut. 5th Battn. King's Own Royal Lancaster Regt., 1 Jan. 1914, and promoted Lieut. 2 Dec. following; served in France and Flanders, and died from wounds received in action, near Ypres, at the Clearing Station, Bailleul, 24 April, 1915; _unm._ He was buried in the cemetery at Bailleul. [Illustration: =Henry Coupland.=] =COURCOUX, WILLIAM=, A.B. (R.F.R., B. 2879), S.S. 196, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914. =COURT, CHARLES=, Leading Stoker (R.F.R., B. 9663), 297567, H.M.S. Hogue; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914. =COURT, FREDERICK WILLIAM=, Chief Armourer, 340995, H.M.S. Aboukir; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914. =COURT, WILLIAM HUBERT ROYLANCE (ALGY)=, Capt., 9th (Queen's Royal) Lancers, only _s._ of William Roylance Court, of Manor House, Middlewich, co. Chester, J.P., Barrister-at-Law, by his wife, Mary Carlaw, eldest dau. of Sir Andrew Barclay Walker, 1st Bart., of Osmaston Manor, co. Derby; _b._ Osmaston Manor, aforesaid, 26 Sept. 1885; educ. Wixenford Preparatory School and at Eton; gazetted 2nd Lieut. from the Royal Garrison Artillery Militia to the 9th Lancers, 6 July, 1907; became Lieut. 4 March, 1910, and Capt. 23 April, 1913, and was for a lengthy period stationed with his regt. at Potchefstroom, South Africa. When the war broke out in August the 9th Lancers were at Mooltan Barracks, Tidworth, from whence they proceeded direct to France, being among the first contingent of the British Army to take part in the fighting in Belgium. It will be remembered that in the early stages of the war in particular the 9th Lancers did splendid work, and in his letters home Capt. Roylance Court related some stirring incidents. About Dec. he was wounded in the foot by shrapnel, and after being in hospital for a short time came home for a few days. On 24 May, 1915 (the day he fell), Capt. Roylance Court was second in command of B Squadron, the senior officer being Capt. Francis O. Grenfell, V.C. The force occupied trenches near Hooge, some 60 to 80 yards from those of the enemy. Capt. Court was in the act of communicating by telephone with the Base regarding the enemy's gas attack and the general situation, when he was shot through the head and killed instantly. Capts. Grenfell, Noel Edwards and many men fell that day. The Adjutant of the 9th Lancers, when writing to a friend some time after the 24th, referred to the incidents and said: "It certainly was a bad day, but the regt. came out with much praise from everybody. This is some consolation to us for the loss of a great many friends, and in spite of losses the reputation of the regt. increases. 'Algy' did a particularly gallant thing on the day he was killed. When reinforcements were required he went down from the fire trenches through a terrific shell fire (any messengers we sent on this day were killed or wounded) and led up a company of the Buffs, showed them where they were wanted. They suffered severely on the way, having to cross about 2,000 yards of very open ground, which was swept by an absolute curtain of shell fire." Capt. Roylance Court was buried during the night after the battle in the churchyard at Vlamertinghe, in Flanders, close to the grave of Capt. Grenfell, whose remains were interred at the same time. He was a very capable officer and a thorough sportsman, and when on leave was a familiar figure in the Cheshire Hunt, of which his father was joint-Master for four years. He was an enthusiastic polo player, and won several point-to-point races for his regt. and several of his friends. Golf was another sport of which he was very fond. [Illustration: =W. H. R. (A.) Court.=] =COURTIS, ERNEST GEORGE=, Chief Gunner, R.N., _s._ of James Courtis, Engine Fitter, by his wife, Mary Catherine, dau. of Walter Perry Jenkins; _b._ Cornwall, 3 March, 1873; educ. St. James' School, Keyham, Devonport; joined the Navy, 7 Dec. 1888, and reached Warrant rank, 1 Nov. 1898. He served on the Algerine during the Boxer rebellion in China, 1900, being Gunnery Officer of that ship during the bombardment of the Taku Forts. In the latter part of the engagement the starboard after 3-pr. quick-firing gun recoiled off the netting, fracturing almost all the small parts of the machinery and breech mechanism. He remounted it in a position (from which it was effectively used) in the Captain's cabin in less than 15 minutes. Later, having observed a line of electric observation mines ahead, he put off in a dinghy with one man, and personally performed the dangerous service of destroying five of the mines by cutting wires, removing detonators and primers, and sinking the mines, thus probably saving many lives. He was subsequently landed in charge of two of the ship's 4-inch quick-firing guns, and accompanied them to the Tientsin lines, where they were urgently required to outrange the enemy; afterwards took one gun some 4 miles from the supports and base and mounted it under a brisk shell fire, continuing in command of that gun during the remainder of the bombardment and capture of Tientsin City. At Sin-Ho he was appointed Transport Officer, which post he held for four months and was promoted Chief Gunner 1 Nov. 1913. He had the China medal (1900) with two bars. Chief Gunner Courtis lost his life on the occasion of the sinking of H.M.S. Clan McNaughton, 3 Feb. 1915. He _m._ at Belmont Wesleyan Church, Devonport, 12 Feb. 1900, Gertrude, dau. of Charles Montague, and had a son and dau.: Geoffrey Ernest Montague, _b._ 2 April, 1907; and Gertrude Ellen Mary, _b._ 1 Sept. 1904. [Illustration: =Ernest George Courtis.=] =COURTNEY, JOHN HENRY=, _alias_ =JOHN HENRY ALFRED ADKINS=, Stoker, 1st Class (R.F.R., B. 9614), S.S. 106961, H.M.S. Hawke; lost when that ship was torpedoed in the North Sea, 15 Oct. 1914; _unm._ =COUSENS, ARTHUR=, Seam |