Nineteen year old Digger Sgt wins immediate MM. Sgt Brian Charles Cooper (2 Bn RAR) aged 19 yrs of Perth WA won an immediate award of the Military Medal for his conduct in action fought on the night of 24 July 53. Sgt Cooper, commander of a medium machine gun section, came under fierce attack by an enemy force of estimated Company strength following a heavy artillery barrage. Leaving sufficient of his gun crews to man the guns covering his primary task of guarding the Western approaches to the "Hook", he organised the remainder into a separate defensive position. From this position he engaged the enemy with such a volume of grenades and small arms fire that they were unable to Penetrate the position despite the overwhelming superiority of numbers. September 9, 1953.