Second bravery medal for ‘comrade’ Cooper
FOR the second time in as many months, Port Elizabeth World War 2 veteran James “Jim” Cooper has been awarded a Russian medal for gallantry.
Cooper, 93, who received an Ushakov medal earlier this year, received a visit yesterday by Alexey Egorov , the vice-consul in Cape Town for the consulate-general of the Russian Federation.
Egorov presented Cooper with a Russian 70th anniversary commemorative medal.
Cooper is the only recipient of this medal in the Eastern Cape, making him the most decorated war veteran of Russian medals in the province.
“I warmly congratulate you on this event and thank you for your bravery,” Egorov told Cooper in the company of his friends and family at his Lorraine home.
Born in 1921, Cooper was called up for active duty as a Royal Marine during the war and at age 19 fought with the Allied forces, including the Russians, against the Germans.
Cooper’s previous Russian medal, the Ushakov, is an elite military award “only presented to people who actively fought in the wars [and is] presented to sailors, officers and other people who put their life at risk at sea”, Egorov said.
The medal is named after Admiral Fyodor Ushakov, who is celebrated as the patron saint of the Russian Navy for reportedly never losing a battle.
“If an officer in Russia is seen wearing this medal it means he had participated in real, harsh battle. That is why it was decided to present this medal to survivors of the Arctic Convoy – it was a very hard patrol, a lot of people were killed,” Egorov said.
Cooper said he was taken by surprise when he heard about the awarding of the first medal.
“I didn’t realise that British Marines could receive a Russian military medal,” he said.
Cooper served on the HMS Norfolk with up to 1 000 other seamen for three years during the latter part of the war until it ended in 1945.
Since 1991, the award has been presented to servicemen from various nations who had shown courage and bravery while assisting the Russians in defending the country.
Cooper’s latest medal comes ahead of the 70th anniversary of Victory Day celebrated in various countries around the world on May 9. The day marks the surrender of Nazi Germany to the then Soviet Union.
Speaking at yesterday’s award ceremony, Egorov said: “Without your help, our country would not be in existence. We cherish and remember what you did for us in that war.”
Egorov said the Russian consulate-general and Russian embassy in Pretoria were working closely with the Veteran Organisation of SA to present medals to all who fought with them against Nazi troops.
“The decision was made by Russian President Vladimir Putin last year to show the respect of the Russian people for what exactly these people did for our country,” he said. Cooper, who thanked the vice-consul, said: “You can’t celebrate without thinking of all your comrades who got killed during the same period.”
There were no other Eastern Cape recipients, with three in Cape Town and some in Pretoria, Egorov said.
Cooper has been awarded eight medals for his service during World War 2 – five British-issued medals, stolen from his home several years ago after his first wife died, a British Arctic Star awarded three years ago for bravery and courage during the Arctic Convoys in the North Atlantic, and the two recent Russian medals.