Bonzer Words!: Ethel Cooper
...From July 1914 until December 1918 she penned one letter a week describing conditions in Germany. The first 52 made it to her sister and probably into the hands of the British War Office. The other 175 were kept hidden from the Germans. The letters contained sensitive information and if discovered Ethel would have most likely been executed as a spy. Despite Ethel's home being raided many times throughout the war the letters were never found...
Paula Wilson tells of thge life of Ethel Cooper, a most remarkable woman.
Ethel Cooper has been described as a 'letter-writer, traveller, musician.' That is a totally inadequate description of an extraordinary Australian woman.
Although Caroline was her first name she went by Ethel. Born on 25 December 1871 to Arthur and Harriette Cooper she had one sister Emmie. Both parents died before Ethel was eight and the sisters were raised by their grandmother. Educated at a progressive school, in an Adelaide suburb, where music was an important part of the curriculum, Ethel excelled.
By 1896, Emmie married and moved to England while Ethel set off on a journey that would lead to adventure and danger. At first she studied the classical piano in Adelaide before attending the Leipzig Conservatorium in Germany.
Ethel easily assimilated into the culture of Leipzig, and found others with similar interests to hers. After she completed her studies she returned to Adelaide but in 1911 was back in Leipzig. This was a good time, but change came with the outbreak of Word War 1 in 1914.
Most non-Germans quickly left the country. Ethel who spoke fluent German remained, either by choice or because the border closed before she could escape.
This was when she became the letter writer. From July 1914 until December 1918 she penned one letter a week describing conditions in Germany. The first 52 made it to her sister and probably into the hands of the British War Office. The other 175 were kept hidden from the Germans. The letters contained sensitive information and if discovered Ethel would have most likely been executed as a spy. Despite Ethel's home being raided many times throughout the war the letters were never found.
Life was a struggle, food was short, there was no heating and tobacco was impossible to get. When peace came in November 1918 Ethel, suffering from malnutrition and exhaustion, was repatriated to London. Before leaving she sold her grand piano and refused to play again. A great talent lost, but the next stage of this extraordinary life would soon begin.
Ethel returned to Adelaide in 1921 for a short period. Then it was off to Warsaw to work with the Quaker Relief Unit as a volunteer aid worker. The citizens of Poland had been caught between German and Russian armies. Their crops destroyed along with nearly everything else, there were many orphaned children and people were starving. This was Ethel's destination.
Like other volunteers she lived on a starvation diet. She used her own funds to rescue young children ensuring they went to Quaker run orphanages. For her work amongst Polish refugees, Ethel received a Gold Cross of Merit.
At the age of 53 it would have been understandable for Ethel to return to a peaceful life in Adelaide. Instead she caught a train in Greece headed for Salonika (now Thessaloniki.) Greeks were fleeing Turkey and Russians the Bolshevik revolution, along with Armenian refugees they were all converging in the one spot.
The refugees lived in tents or disused barracks without any modern facilities. Their diets were at starvation level and illness was rife. But Ethel and other volunteers were not deterred. They lived in similar conditions and survived on the same diets as the refugees. They worked long hours in appalling conditions doing the best they could.
Ethel took over as head of the Relief Unit in 1923 despite not being a Quaker. This was unpopular with some volunteers but Ethel was the right person for the position. She was a tireless worker, donated much of her private income, and was intuitive in raising funds and rescuing children. She remained head of the Relief Unit until 1928 when she retired, worn out from years of hard work and adversity. For her tireless effort Ethel was awarded the Greek Order of Redeemer.
Ethel did not go home immediately, instead took to travelling the country as a tourist. In 1932 it was time to return to Adelaide where she lived with her widowed sister. Life must have now seemed quite tame to her; maybe this was part of the reason that, with the outbreak of World War 2, and at the age of 70, she volunteered for the war effort. Her years spent in Germany were put to good use when she went to work for the Military Censor's Office reading letters written in German.
After the war Ethel continued to live in Adelaide. In her later years she contracted Parkinson's disease and died in 1961 at the age of 89.
© Paula Wilson
Paul writes for Bonzer! magazine. Please visit www.bonzer.org.au
