Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The Naval General Service Medal awarded to Lieutenant J. B. Coop, 40 Commando, Royal Marines, who was killed in action on 2 April 1951 during ‘X’ Troop’s 21 day patrol in Kuala Kangsar

Naval General Service 1915-62, 1 clasp, Malaya, G.VI.R. (Lt. J. B. Coop, R.M.), extremely fine £1800-2200

James Barry Coop was commissioned Probationary 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Marines in December 1943 and appears to have served at the shore base Lanka in Ceylon, and in the cruiser H.M.S. London, prior to the end of hostilities.

Advanced to Lieutenant in July 1946, he attended a course at the R.M. Commando School in August 1948 and was next embarked for Malaya as a member of 40 Commando, 3 Commando Brigade.

A member of 40 Commando’s ‘X’ Troop, he was actively employed in the area around Kuala Kangsar in the north of the country, where patrolling was carried out by sections of a dozen or so men. On occasion, Troops moved away from their established bases to form temporary camps deep in the jungle, and it was during the course of one such operation - a 21 day patrol undertaken by ‘X’ Troop - that Coop was killed in action on 2 April 1951, aged 25 years.