Wallet 1 of 1 - Diary of James Duncan Cooper, 1940-1941

Places	Africa: Egypt, Alexandria Asia: Ceylon, Colombo Europe: Greece, Athens Europe: Greece, Crete, Suda Bay Mediterranean Mediterranean: Malta Middle East: Ottoman Empire, Lebanon, Tripoli Middle East: Yemen, Aden Oceania: Australia, South Australia, Adelaide Oceania: Australia, Western Australia, Fremantle
Accession Number	AWM2021.22.20
Collection number	3DRL/6478
Collection type	Digitised Collection
Record type	Wallet
Item count	1
Object type	Diary, Photograph
Physical description	67 Image/s captured
Maker	Cooper, James Duncan
Place made	Australia
Date made	1940-1941
Conflict	Second World War, 1939-1945
Copying Provisions	Digital format and content protected by copyright.
Source credit to	This item has been digitised with funding provided by Commonwealth Government.

Places

Accession Number

AWM2021.22.20

Collection number

3DRL/6478

Collection type

Digitised Collection

Record type

Wallet

Item count

Object type

Diary, Photograph

Physical description

67 Image/s captured

Maker

Cooper, James Duncan

Place made

Australia

Date made

1940-1941

Conflict

Second World War, 1939-1945

Copying Provisions

Digital format and content protected by copyright.

Source credit to

This item has been digitised with funding provided by Commonwealth Government.

Collection relating to the Second World War service of 18905 Able Seaman James Duncan Cooper, HMAS Perth, Australia and at sea, 1940-1941.

Wallet 1 of 1 - Contains a bound black and white photocopied diary kept by Cooper during the period 8 November 1940 to 23 May 1941 whilst serving in HMAS Perth. Cooper opens the diary en route to joining HMAS Perth, and details convoy work around Australia and sailing to Alexandria in late November including descriptions of various ports of call. During 1941 Cooper outlines patrol and convoy duties in the Mediterranean such as the transport of troops, air raids, encounters with enemy submarines, repair work to HMAS Perth and recreational activities. He also records detailed accounts for events such as the Battle of Cape Matapan, the bombardment of Piraeus on 6 April 1941 and the evacuation of Allied troops from Greece during late April 1941. Closing diary entries cover an encounter with a small enemy ship and German bombers followed by HMAS Perth sailing into Alexandria for repairs on 24 April 1941.

The collection also includes a photograph of Cooper holding a 6-inch shell taken by George Silk on 25 March 1941, and his original HMAS Perth tally band.