| Coker | Edmund Rogers | | Lieutenant Colonel | COKER, EDMUND ROGERS, Colonel, was born 4 January 1844, at St Croix, West Indies, son of William Worthington Coker, Ash-in-Stourpaine, Dorset, and of Matilda Augusta, daughter of W Dewhurst, of Santa Cruz, West Indies. He was educated at a private school and at Addiscombe, and entered the Madras Army in 1861; was transferred to the 106th Light Infantry in 1863; appointed Adjutant in 1874; promoted Major and Lieutenant Colonel in 1881, and Colonel in 1885. He served with the Frontier Field Force in the Sudan in 1885 and 1886, in command of the 2nd Battalion Durham Light Infantry; was mentioned in Despatches, received the Medal and the Khedive's Bronze Star, and was created a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order [London Gazette, 26 November 1886]:"For services at the action at Ginniss, 30 December 1885, Edmund Rogers Coker, Lieutenant Colonel and Colonel, Durham Light Infantry". Soon after the battle of Ginniss "most of the troops " (says Colonel A Haggard, in 'Under Crescent and Star', page 391) "were in a few days' time marched back northwards to Akasheh, and gradually to Wady Haifa, only a very small force being left at Ginniss to form the extreme frontier guard. This force consisted of the 2nd Battalion of the Durham Light Infantry, under Lieutenant Colonel Coker, which regiment was encamped near the old fort at Kosheh; of my battalion of Egyptians, 300 men of whom took possession of Fort Mograkeh, the remainder being either with Hartayne at Akasheh, or on detachment under Frith at Sarkametto; of the Black Battalion, now under Gibb, and a few details of British Mounted Infantry, under a smart young officer named Tudway". He married, in 1889, Agnes Gertrude, daughter of Charles Meade-King, of Taunton. Colonel Coker's favourite recreations were shooting and riding. He died on 11 March 1914.
Source: DSO recipients (VC and DSO Book) | Durham Light Infantry |
