Dorchester Illustration no. 2424 David Herbert Copson
At the Dorchester Historical Society, we are in the process of a year-long project to commemorate the 100th anniversary of World War I. Using a collection of photographs we have of WWI Dorchester residents, we will be featuring servicemen in a number of short biographies throughout the year. At the culmination of the project, we hope to produce an online exhibit that highlights these men and their service to our country.
Our next biography features: David Herbert Copson
Written by Donna Albino
Note: The photo on the left is definitely of David Herbert Copson. The photo on the right is probably of him as well. If you have any knowledge of the Copson family, please let us know more information.
David Herbert Copson was born on November 9, 1895, in Watertown, Massachusetts. His parents were William Arthur Copson, an immigrant from England, and Rose Ann (Norton) Copson. The family was living in Cambridge by 1897, when David’s brother William was born, and the 1900 census listed their address as 12 Leonard Ave in Cambridge, bordering Inman and Harvard Squares. David’s sister Catherine was born in Cambridge in 1903, but by 1910 the family had relocated to 120 Brown Street in Roslindale. His father was a traveling salesman who sold crackers.
David registered for the draft on June 5, 1917, and his address was listed as 1173 Adams Street, Dorchester on his draft card. His parents, however, still lived in Roslindale. His draft card listed him as single, but he did marry Alvina Webb in 1917, and Alvina’s parents lived at the Adams Street address in the Lower Mills section of Dorchester. Their son, David, was born on June 16, 1918, so the young family may have chosen to live with Alvina’s parents in order to have help with the child while David joined the war effort.
David enlisted in the Great War on July 22, 1918. He was assigned to headquarters, 36th US Infantry Division of the US Army. The unit was sent to Europe in July 1918 and conducted major operations in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. In October, the unit participated in heavy combat near the village of St. Etienne. David was discharged from service on March 21, 1919 as part of the demobilization effort at the end of the war.
David rejoined his wife and son in Dorchester after the war. In the 1920 census, David, Alvina, and their son David were still living with Alvina’s parents and their six minor children at 1173 Adams Street. David was working as a stock clerk in a machine shop.
On September 28, 1927, at the age of 32, David was admitted to the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers in Togus, Maine. The facility was established as the eastern branch of the National Asylum to provide care for volunteer soldiers who had been disabled during service in the Union forces of the American Civil War and expanded when WWI produced a new veteran population. David’s disability was listed as chronic myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle most often due to a viral infection. His admission form at the hospital revealed that David was then divorced, and living with his parents in Roslindale.
David was discharged from the asylum on June 30, 1928. He passed away in 1929. David’s son was also a veteran; he served as captain of a patrol torpedo (PT) boat in the Philippines during WWII and afterward, went on to live a very accomplished life. He was a PhD graduate of MIT, and worked as a researcher at Raytheon and a professor at the University of Puerto Rico. He passed away in 1999.
Sources:
Ancestry.com. Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.
Ancestry.com. Massachusetts, Marriage Index, 1901-1955 and 1966-1970 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013.
Ancestry.com. Massachusetts, Death Index, 1901-1980 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013.
Year: 1900; Census Place: Cambridge Ward 2, Middlesex, Massachusetts; Page: 1; Enumeration District: 0696; FHL microfilm: 1240656
Year: 1910; Census Place: Boston Ward 23, Suffolk, Massachusetts; Roll: T624_624; Page: 6A; Enumeration District: 1615; FHL microfilm: 1374637
Year: 1920; Census Place: Boston Ward 21, Suffolk, Massachusetts; Roll: T625_739; Page: 2A; Enumeration District: 525
Registration State: Massachusetts; Registration County: Suffolk; Roll: 1685013; Draft Board: 21
Ancestry.com. U.S. National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, 1866-1938 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007.
Wikipedia, 36th Infantry Division (United States)
Wikipedia, Myocarditis
The Boston Globe (Boston, Massachusetts) 08 Jun 1999, Tue page 70
Ancestry, Michaud Family Tree by vmichaud176