Family group:

The Great War M.M. group of four awarded to Sergeant G. Coops, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry

Military Medal, G.V.R. (475806 Sjt. G. Coops, P.P.C.L.I.)); 1914-15 Star (475806 Pte. G. Coops, P.P.C.L.I.); British War and Victory Medals (475806 Sjt. G. Coops.P.P.C.L.I.), contact marks and polished, thus good fine

The Second World War campaign group of six awarded to Lieutenant G. A. Coops, Canadian Military Forces, late Royal Canadian Air Force

1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star; Defence Medal 1939-45, silver; Canadian Voluntary Service Medal 1939-45, with overseas clasp; War Medal 1939-45, silver; Canadian Forces Decoration, E.II.R. (Lt. G. A. Coops), mounted as worn, generally very fine (10) £500-600

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Fine Collection of Awards to the Canadian Forces.

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M.M. London Gazette 20 August 1919.

George Coops was born in Manchester, Lancashire, England, on 5 October 1891, and arrived in Canada with his family aged 12 years. A Clerk by profession, he enlisted in the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force at Regina, Saskatchewan, in July 1915.

Allocated to the strength of Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, he went out to France as a member of 3rd Company in November 1915, and was twice wounded - namely in January and April 1917, the latter wound in his thigh necessitating his evacuation to England. Earlier, in June 1916, he has also been evacuated owing to influenza.

Rejoining his unit in France as a newly promoted Sergeant in August 1918, he was awarded his M.M. for the final Allied advance and was discharged back in Canada in March 1919. He subsequently worked for Imperial Oil at Regina for 37 years, and as a member of the City Corps of Commissionaires for 12 years. Coops died in February 1978; sold with original newspaper obituary and some copied research.

George Alexander Coops, son of the above, enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force at Regina in April 1941 and was embarked for England in March 1942, shortly after qualifying for his Air Observer’s Badge. Having then attended an O.T.U., he was posted to No. 50 Squadron at the year’s end, and remained similarly employed, latterly as a Pilot Officer, until April 1943, in which period he would have qualified for his Air Crew Europe Star for operations in the unit’s Lancasters. Re-embarked for Canada in June 1943, he served for the remainder of the War in Flight Control and was released as a Flight Lieutenant in April 1946.

Coops subsequently joined the R.C.O.C. in April 1951, was awarded the Canadian Forces Decoration (Canadian AO 128-25 of 1958 refers), and was finally discharged in December 1962; sold with copied service papers.