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Cooper, Thomas Wilson

Date of birth:
March 21st, 1922 (Montreal/Quebec, Canada)
Date of death:
March 18th, 1944 (Near Hillesheim/Rhineprovince, Germany)
Buried on:
Commonwealth War Cemetery Rheinberg
Plot: 8 D . Grave: 16.
Service number:
J/23519
Nationality:
Canadian

Biography

Son of Arnold and Ena Cooper. Husband of Norma Margaret Cooper, from Brantford, Ontario, Canada. Flight officer, pilot, 427 Squadron RCAF.

His Handley Page Halifax LW551 ZL-G was shot down by a German night fighter near Hillesheim (Germany) after taking off from RAF Leeming on 18 March 1944 for a mission to Frankfurt. He retained control of his aircraft long enough to bring his crew to safety, but stayed too long to save himself and was killed while the other five managed to parachute to safety.

He is buried at Rheinberg War Cemetery. His gravestone bears the inscription:
DEATH CAN NEVER SEPARATE US, FOR GOD HAS CLAIMED US FOR HIMSELF

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Sources