The Cooper sisters from Portrack from left to right Emma, Rose Hannah, Florence, Sarah (Wick), Maria (Ria) and Ivy. Emma had a fish shop in Bath Lane and Ivy had a fish shop in Nicholson Street assisted by Rose and Ria. Sarah (Wick) lived to the ripe old age of 103 and was still skipping well into her late nineties. Florence’s son Kenneth who was one of a family of fourteen was the longest serving officer in the SAS and has written a book entitled ‘Ghost Force’ about his experiences.
Photograph and details courtesy of Richard Scott.
Would Major Edward Cooper who the Victoria Cross and who was from Stockton a relation of these?
What a proud achievement, a Stockton man being the longest serving SAS Officer in Britain, I have been on Amazon and looked up Ghost Force by Ken Conners, author, Stockton on Tees.
* Publishers blurb: This book contains explosive details of operations unknown even to 99% of serving SAS men, this is the definitive history of the regiment written by an ex-SAS soldier of 23 years’ experience. He tells the truth about SAS involvement in the Falklands War and the Gulf War and about their operation against the IRA in Gibraltar. Compiled from personal experience and the eye-witness accounts of friends and colleagues, this book reveals the inside story of SAS operations in both conventional war and counter-terrorist operations.
* Buyer says: This book is a must for anyone with any interest in Special Forces and Operations. The text covers all major and unknown conflicts the SAS have been involved in since their re-formation following WW2. From the deserts of the Oman, the jungles of the Malayan Emergency, the colds of the Falklands, all the way back to the desert, this time in Iraq. What I personally like about the book, is that the text in the chapters reads as a fact based text book. Preceeding each chapter is preceeded by a short personal tale of the conflict at hand, but it is by far the best written SpecForces book out there. Extra quote: ‘Controversial, blistering and unique’ – Andy McNab, Special Forces author.