RCAF

COOPER, Frederick Terrance

War
2nd Word War
Date of Birth
Date Attested
Attested at
Hamilton - Ontario
Regimental Number
145758
Rank
Flight Sergeant
Date of Death
Age at Death
24 years 2 months
Biographical Summary

NAME                 COOPER     Frederick Terrance                                                                                                                                 Royal Canadian Air Force
RANK                 Flight Sergeant      145758                                                                                                                                         Group 91 - RAF Bomber Command                                                                              SQUADRON       RAF No. 22 Operational Training Unit
                           Wellesbourne Mountford Airfield - Warwickshire
                           Squadron markings DD LT OX XN                                                                                  Residence          Toronto - Ontario                                                                                                                      Birth                    June 24, 1010 - Goderich - Township of Goderich -  County of Huron                                            Died                    August 26, 1943     24 years   2 months
Memorial            Runnymede Memorial - Englefield Green – Egham - Surrey -  England
                           Panel 181
Parents               Mr. Alexander and Ethel Cooper - Goderich                                                                        Brother                Harold resided in Goderich                                                                                                              Sisters                Mrs. H. Jenkins of Milverton - Ontario                                                                                                                         Mrs. H. Cottrell of Goderich a                                                                                                                                     Misses Evelyn, Helen and Peggy of Goderich..

Frederick was born on June 24, 1919 in Goderich and the Cooper home is what is now known as the Thyme
on 21 Restaurant and Frederick was a member of North Street United Church in Goderich. He attended Central Public School between 1925-33. He attended high school at Goderich Collegiate Institute between 1933-38. He received his matriculation after studying English Literature, Canadian History, Geometry, Physics and Algebra. He then wanted to obtain his Business Administration and studied at Goderich Commercial school operated by Westervelt School  between 1938-40. While there he worked at the Shell Service Station as a mechanics helper. He then worked  at the Central Mechanical Depot in London between 1940-41. From there he went to Toronto in 1941 and began working at Sieberling Rubber as a payroll clerk and cost clerk. They were located on Bloor just west of Landsdowne by the railway tracks. He enjoyed swimming, skiing, tennis and football. .Between August 28-December 10, 1941 he attended No. 20 Canadian Army Basic Training Centre in Brantford and Petawawa.

Canada

The war had been in progress two years and at this time he enlists in Hamilton, Ontario on December 11, 1941 at the Royal Canadian Air Force No. 10 Recruitment Centre. When he enlisted he was 5'  11" in height and weighed 130 pounds. He has a fair complexion, blue eyes and dark hair. When he was interviewed by the RCAF their comments were.... he was pleasant, had a good appearance, was well disciplined, was good pilot material and would be best suited for Pilot Observer. He enlisted into the Royal Canadian Air Force with the rank of Aircraftsmen 2nd Class earning $1.30 per day.                                                                                                      He was posted to No. 1 Manning Depot in Toronto. He was there until March 15, 1942. He was next posted to No. 1 Initial Training School at the Eglinton Hunt Club in Toronto. Here he studied navigation, theory of flight, meteorology, duties of an officer, air force administration, algebra and trigonometry. There was a interview with a psychiatrist along with a 4 hour long physical examination. During his time here he was promoted to the rank of Leading Aircraftsman and now earned $1.50 per day. While here he was granted special extended leave from May 9 - June 24. His next posting took him to No. 7 Elementary Flying Training School based at Windsor - Ontario on July 5, 1942 and here he would train on the Fleet Finch and obtain 50 hours of flying. Then it was on to No. 9 Service Flying Training School based at Centralia - Ontario on August 29th and train on the Avro Anson.  He was promoted to Tactical Sergeant on January 15, 1943 earning $1.50 per day and on this same day he was awarded his Pilots Flying Badge while at No. 9 Service Flying Training School. He was awarded embarkation leave from January 16 - February 4. On February 4th he was posted to "Y" Depot in Halifax in preparation for going overseas. At some point in February he was AWOL for two days and reprimanded for his actions.

Overseas

T/Sgt Cooper then travelled to New York City and boarded his ship on March 8, 1943 and left for overseas on March 9, 1943 Sergeant Cooper arrived in the United Kingdom on March 17, 1943. One day later it was to No. 3 Personnel  Reception Centre. He would rest here, fill out the necessary paperwork, take some refresher training and then await his next posting. On April 27th he was posted to No. 11 Advanced Flying Unit - Condover - Shropshire and here they would learn to fly in the rain, mist and cloud of England and pilots would learn to instrument land their aircraft. His accommodation was galvanized steel huts.The Beam Approach Flight Training took [place in an Airspeed Oxford and he had 10.30 hours of Beam Flying, Instrument Flying and as a passenger.                                                                                                                                                               

In the Field

On June 29, 1943 he was posted to No. 22 Operational Training Unit - Wellesbourne Mountford - Warwickshire. It was here that he would begin training with his crewmates on the Vickers Wellington bomber. On July 15, 1943 he was given a promotion to T/Flight Sergeant and earned $3.70 per day. As a crew they would have begun flying together in their aircraft as the pilots would perform “circuits and bumps”, then they did night flying, practice bombing, fighter affiliation, air to air firing at a drogue and then long cross country flights. As the crews final days at the OTU drew to a close they were usually sent on their first mission into enemy territory.
Flight Sergeant Cooper and his crew were on such a mission – their first over enemy territory. It was termed
a “nickel mission” which was when strips of foil were dropped from the aircraft in an effort to confuse the
enemy radar. Flight Sergeant Cooper and his crew were airborne at 8:41 pm in Wellington HF 628 on August 25, 1943 and after that there was no word from them. The target of this raid was Montargis in France where there was 5/10th cloud at 3,000’ and while on this raid Wellington Mk III HF 628 was shot down by night fighters and flak while at 10,000 feet and crashed into the sea off Le Touget in France between Cherbourg and Le Havre.        A letter written on July 4, 1945 from the Chief of Air Staff says that the Overseas Headquarters of the RCAF has received a statement from F/O Mitchell who was a member of the crew of your sons aircraft and taken prisoner following the aircraft crashing. He has stated that the aircraft crashed between Le Havre and Cherbourg in France and does not know what happened to your son or to Flt/Sgt Pick. He has said that a German doctor told him the aircraft crashed into the see and they were killed.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Flight Sergeant's mother Ethel received the Memorial Cross in January of 1945. Terry was awarded the 1939-45 Star, the War Medal along with the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and the family received these in October of 1946. 

Frederick is honoured and remembered on the Goderich - Ontario Cenotaph and on the Memorial Plaque of North Street United Church (Lakeshore United Church) - Goderich - Ontario. He is honoured and remembered on the Memorial Plaque of Goderich Collegiate. He is honoured and remembered on the RAF No. 22 Operational Training Unit Memorial Plaque located in St. Peter's Church located in Wellesbourne - Stratford on the Avon - Warwickshire - England and he is honoured and remembered on the Virtual Canadian War Memorial.