Hanway Cooper was born on 2nd May 1892 in Hampstead, the third son and youngest child of William and Marion Cooper. His older siblings were William, Arthur and Dorothy and when Hanway was born, the family were living at 37 Netherhall Gardens, a substantial property in affluent Hampstead in London.

By 1911 Hanway’s mother and sister are recorded living at ‘Springfield’, Gravel Hill in Boxmoor, whilst his father William was in the United States of America where he died in 1913 in Washington DC.

Hanway was from an illustrious naval family and he was named for his great-great uncle, Admiral Sir James Hanway Plumridge who had fought in the Crimean War in 1854.

Hanway was educated at St Christopher’s School in Eastbourne before entering the Royal Naval College, Osborne on 12th January 1905. Osborne had been Queen Victoria’s summer residence and following her death, it became a junior officer training college for the Royal Navy in 1903. Hanway was amongst the earliest intake and started his naval training at thirteen remaining at Osborne for two years. Fellow alumnus included Edward VIII, George VI and George Archer-Shee who was expelled from Osborne after being falsely accused of stealing a five-shilling postal order, inspiring the Terence Rattigan play "The Winslow Boy".

From Osborne Hanway went to Britannia College, Dartmouth to continue his naval training. He was promoted Acting Sub-Lieutenant on 15th September 1912 and Sub-Lieutenant exactly two months later. Between 1909 and 1914, he served on many ships including; Commonwealth, Rattlesnake, Warrior, Pembroke and Shannon. His superiors reported; “a zealous hardworking officer”, “carried out the duties of executive officer with zeal and ability”, and “a very capable and promising officer”.

On the outbreak of war, he was appointed to HMS Monmouth, part of the British West Indies Squadron, in August 1914. Hanway’s time on active service was to be tragically short and he died with all hands when Monmouth was sunk off the coast of Chile at the Battle of Coronel on Sunday, 1st November 1914.

This was the first major naval battle of the War and is notable not only because it was Britain's first naval defeat of the Great War, but it was its first anywhere in the world in over a century, dating back to the war of 1812 against the United States. The Germans won a resounding victory, sinking two of the four British ships, Monmouth and Good Hope, with the loss of over 1,400 lives. Not a single German sailor died.

Rear-Admiral Sir Christopher Cradock commanded the British West Indies Squadron and he understood his orders were to fight to the end, despite the odds being heavily against him. News of his death and the defeat shocked Britain.

The sinking of Monmouth and Hanway’s death were reported in the Hemel Gazette in November 1914 and included the content of the telegram received by his mother.

Had he not been killed, Hanway would have been promoted Lieutenant on 15th November 1914.

Hanway is Remembered with Honour on Plymouth Naval Memorial.

In 1989 a memorial to those who perished in the battle was erected in the 21st May Square at Coronel, Chile. Along with two plaques depicting HMS Good Hope and HMS Monmouth, it has a central dedication plaque in Spanish which reads:

‘In memory of the 1,418 officers and sailors of the British military squadron and their Commander-in-Chief, Rear Admiral Sir Christopher Cradock, Royal Navy, who sacrificed their lives in the Naval Battle of Coronel, on 1 November 1914. The sea is their only grave.’

Hanway was 22 years old when he died.

He was eligible for the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal.