Born on 13 June 1896 in Liverpool, (then part of Lancashire), to an Armenian-Lebanese father and a French mother, Coury was educated at Stonyhurst College from 1907 to 1913.

During an advance he was in command of two platoons ordered to dig a communication trench from the firing line to the position won.

Later, after his battalion had suffered severe casualties and the Commanding Officer had been wounded, he went out in front of the advanced position in broad daylight and in full view of the enemy found his Commanding Officer, and brought him back to the new advanced trench over ground swept by machine-gun fire.

He not only carried out his original tasks and saved his Commanding Officer, but also assisted in rallying the attacking troops when they were shaken and in leading them forward.

When the Second World War broke out, he joined the Royal Army Service Corps and participated in the Normandy Landings.