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Sub-Lieutenant (E), H.M.S. Copra, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve
Cyril George Perrie was born in Dinnington, South Yorkshire on 12th September 1906 the only child of John Perrie (1879 – 1914), and Kate Guest (1885 – 1928). John was born in Hartill and Kate in Laughton, both close to Rotherham, South Yorkshire and they married at Sheffield in spring 1905.
In 1911 the family were living at 16, King Street, Station Road, Ossett where John was working as a railway porter. Sadly John died in late 1914 aged 35 years and in spring 1916 widow Kate married William Rowley, a self- employed coal merchant of Thornhill, Yorkshire. In 1921 the couple were living at 2, Camroyd Street, Eastborough, Dewsbury with Cyril George and four years old Kathleen Mary Rowley, the child of Kate’s second marriage. Cyril was 14 years of age and an apprentice to Ashworth & Son, Midland Iron Works, Scout Hill, Ravensthorpe near Dewsbury. The household also had a 17 years old domestic servant.
In spring 1927 Cyril married Winifred Horsley in Grimsby. Sadly a year later in early 1928 Cyril lost his mother, Kate, aged 43 years.
By 1939 Cyril and Winifred were living at 142, Weedon Street, Sheffield with their two children, Winifred Kate born in late 1930 and Marjorie P. born early 1932. Cyril was working as a motor engineer and an air raid precaution warden at the works. It seems likely that Cyril had also volunteered to support the ambulance service.
Cyril George Perrie at war
Sometime between September 1939 and November 1943 Cyril had joined the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR) and by 29th November 1943 he was serving as a Temporary Sub-Lieutenant (E) with H.M.S. COPRA.
But what of H.M.S. COPRA? The name COPRA is an acronym formed from Combined Operations pay, ratings and accounts. Naval bases, stations and training establishments were usually named HMS followed by the name of the location, a renowned officer, or a ship etc. For example HMS Victory had, of course, been a ship in the distant past but in more in more recent times it was the name used by Portsmouth Barracks.
In a similar way HMS Copra was not a ship but rather a World War II Shore establishment which processed the pay and allowances of Royal Navy personnel serving in Combined Operations. It was located on the seafront at Largs on the Firth of Clyde in North Ayrshire, Scotland. Some sections of HMS Copra had also been located in Southend and London. First commissioned on August 30, 1943 at Chelsea Court, London as Combined Operations pay and drafting office, it moved to Largs by August 3, 1944. Copra (drafting) moved to Southend by November 1943, and to Largs by October 5, 1945. It was never anything other than a shore base.
It’s not certain when Cyril enlisted but since he became a commissioned officer he may have needed extensive training before he joined COPRA which was first established in summer 1943.The UK Navy Lists record that Cyril was appointed Temporary Sub – Lieutenant on 29th November 1943 and this was confirmed in a 1943 London Gazette. The World War II Military Notices in the London Gazette of 13th March 1945 included reference to Cyril George Perrie receiving a mention in despatches, albeit posthumously.
COPRA COMBINED OPERATIONS Largs, North Ayrshire, Scotland
The name of HMS Copra appears on many Commonwealth War Graves in Normandy.. Although HMS Copra was never a sea-going vessel, the name COPRA appeared in the documentation recovered from the bodies, pay books and service records of men who had lost their lives on a naval vessel. In the chaos of war and the only evidence available on the man’s body it was understandably assumed that the name on the documentation was that of the vessel they were serving on when they lost their lives. In fact, their documents only confirmed that the men were in the Royal Navy, and assigned to Combined Operations (COPRA).
The men would have been serving on, or being carried by, an unknown landing craft when they lost their lives and it would not have been possible to identify and record the name of that craft at the time (D-Day).During the years 1943 -1947 the CWGC records the deaths of 134 men and women whose particulars refer to COPRA. Most of them are remembered in the UK; ten men are remembered at the Bayeux War Cemetery. Eleven of the men died on 21st July 1944; only one of those men is remembered at Bayeux War cemetery. Cyril George Perrie was that man.
Far from giving the impression that Cyril George Perrie was in a “desk job” with COPRA the truth is that he was undertaking operations associated with Normandy Landings involving landing craft —relatively small naval vessels used primarily to deploy troops, equipment, vehicles, and supplies from ship to shore for offensive operations. Some 3,000 landing craft were used at Normandy.
Sub-Lieutenant Cyril George Perrie of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve died on 21st July 1944 at the Battle of Normandy (6th June 1944 – 24th July 1944). On the day of his death he was serving in the LC (Landing Craft) Recovery Unit No.1 involved in operations associated with the Normandy Landings. He was 37 years old, a husband and a father of two daughters born in 1930 and 1932.
Cyril George Perrie was awarded the 1939-45 Star for service in WWII between September 1939 and 2nd September 1945; the War Medal 1939-1945 awarded to full time service personnel during the war; The France and Germany Star campaign medal awarded for operational service in France, Belgium,Luxembourg,Netherlands and Germany from 6 June 1944 (D- Day) to May 1945.
Cyril George Perrie, mentioned in despatches is remembered with honour at the Bayeux War Cemetery V.E.5.
The Allied offensive in north-western Europe began with the Normandy landings of 6 June 1944.
There was little actual fighting in Bayeux although it was the first French town of importance to be liberated. Bayeux War Cemetery is the largest Commonwealth cemetery of the Second World War in France and contains burials brought in from the surrounding districts and from hospitals that were located nearby.BAYEUX WAR CEMETERY, which was completed in 1952, contains 4,144 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War, 338 of them unidentified. There are also over 500 war graves of other nationalities, the majority German.The BAYEUX MEMORIAL stands opposite the cemetery and bears the names of more than 1,800 men of the Commonwealth land forces who died in the early stages of the campaign and have no known grave. They died during the landings in Normandy, during the intense fighting in Normandy itself, and during the advance to the River Seine in August.
Cyril George Perrie will be remembered at The Ossett War Memorial alongside his brothers and sisters in arms that we know as The Ossett Fallen.
Researched by the Ossett Fallen Team. 2023. Biography by Alan Howe.
SOURCE
Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2328600/cyril-george-perrie/
