Rosemary Anne Astley-Cooper (Miss)

Second Subaltern Rosemary Anne Astley-Cooper
21 Aug 1920 - 06 Jan 2011
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Biography

She was the daughter of Lt.-Col. Geoffrey Beauchamp Astley Cooper OBE, late Indian Army and Louisa Maude White. She married Lt.-Col. Peter Jarret Lewis, The Buffs, 21 Sept 1946. Peter had been taken prisoner in the North African campaign but escaped and reached Switzerland.

Her brother, Geoffrey 'Desmond' (Royal Navy) was killed on HMS Wren in 1940.

Postings
Unit or location Role Posted from until
Edinburgh Golf Course Instation Operator 02 Sep 1942 29 Oct 1942
Salisbury Instation Operator April 1942 Sept 1942
Bury St Edmunds Instation Operator 29 Oct 1942 Unknown
National ID
TZKI 59/6
Regiment
The Auxiliary Territorial Service
Military number
211144
Commissioned or Enlisted
21 Sep 1941
Career

Rosemary volunteered to join Special Duties. The family lived in The Cedars, Thurston, near Bury St. Edmunds. 

She was visited by Beatrice Temple at the following locations; Salisbury 14 Apr 1942, where she was billeted on her own in Alderbury. Edinburgh 2 Sep 1942 where she is recorded as wearing a red belt. She attended a course at Hannington Hall 26 Oct 1942.

Rosemary replaced Mary Shaw at Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, 29 Oct 1942, after Mary was hit by a car resulting in serious head injuries. She could well have been billeted in her family home while stationed in Bury St Edmunds.

Address
The Cedars, Thurston, near Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk
Other information

Beatrice Temple recorded in her diary; "Tuesday April 14 1942 Astley-Cooper and Holmes – want to be Platoon Officers. Sept 20 1942 Charles at Hannington Hall – advised me to get rid of all the ATS who want to go. Edinburgh Officer Cadet Training Unit closed – Astley-Cooper and Hay-Whiting (now Goodman), must go at once".

Other pictures
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Caption & credit
Rosemary and Peter's wedding (Suffolk Chronicle 27 Sept 1946)
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Caption & credit
Rosemary Anne and Peter Lewis Memorial (from World Graves)
References

London Gazette 

The Peerage

Beatrice Temple diary 

1939 Register

Daughter Virginia and Sir Roderick Cordy-Simpson

Suffolk Chronicle 27 Sept 1946

World Graves