Robert Cooney
Robert Hunt Cooney was born in Sunderland on 19th November 1907 to Alexander and Jane Cooney, he was their seventh and last child. Bob’s father Alex was known as ‘Sandy’, he was a cooper who frequently moved around the country chasing better wages to feed the growing family. Bob Cooney’s nephew, Neil Cooney, says of Alex:
“Sandy was a fit man, an athlete, a champion swimmer, winner of the exhausting Dee to Don swim, a water-polo player of some note, and good enough on the bowling green to win the Ushers Vaux trophy in 1903. He also played football for Orion, a team that won the Aberdeenshire Cup five times before it amalgamated into Aberdeen FC in 1903, but by then Sandy and his family were off on their travels.” – Neil Cooney, 15th August 2024 in Aberdeen on the 40th anniversary of Bob Cooney’s death.
The family were still in Sunderland when Alex died suddenly in June 1909. the family story is that he had just returned from a funeral in Aberdeen, where he was soaked, and travelled home in his wet clothes. He died of pneumonia, he was just 41 years old, his youngest child, Bob, was still a babe in arms at just eighteen months. Jane was left with seven children, the eldest Matthew at 14 had not yet left school, thus none were at an age to earn.
“Jane had little hope but to take her children back to Aberdeen, where at least the support of relatives could tide her over the next few difficult months. They came by boat from Newcastle. Rooms had been found for them in Links Place, and there they were soon to be burgled out of what little they possessed. The children were enrolled in St Andrew’s Episcopal School in King Street, in the church where Jane and Sandy had got married. Jane got a cleaning job at HM Theatre, with extra evening work as a dresser for the big shows. She was fiercely independent and ruled her children with a rod of iron. Times were tough and she had to be extra tough to survive. Bob and Dod, in particular, often tasted the back end of a hairbrush. ” – Neil Cooney,15th August 2024 in Aberdeen on the 40th anniversary of Bob Cooney’s death.
Bob joined the Communist Party in Aberdeen at the age of 21 in 1928, and quickly established himself as a skilled speaker, he was sent to the International Lenin School in Moscow, arriving in September 1931 with George Brown of Manchester and George Coyle of County Durham. On his return to Aberdeen in 1932 Bob mobilised the unemployed through the National Unemployed Workers Movement (NUWM), organised contingents for the local and national hunger marches. He travelled from Aberdeen to Glasgow and Edinburgh speaking at open-air meetings to campaign against unemployment and Means Test and fought the British Union of Fascists.
Bob was seen as too valuable to be sent to Spain, but he eventually persuaded Harry Pollitt to allow him to go, he enlisting in the British Battalion on 30th September 1937, but was held back away from the front lines, he was eventually released and appointed British Battalion Commissar on 31st March 1938 where he worked closely with Commander Sam Wild. Without exception every brigader speaks highly of Bob in Spain, he was a born organiser and had time for everyone, he kept them motivated despite the setbacks..
Bob Cooney was the last and, many say, the finest Battalion Commissar. With Sam Wild and George Fletcher he led and spoke for the volunteers of the British Battalion at Victoria Station when they returned home on 7th December 1938.
Thanks go to Neil Cooney, nephew to Bob, for allowing us access to the family archive.
Compiled by Tony Fox
Solidarity Park 