Canada, CEF. A Memorial Group to the Coop Brothers; KIA at Fresnoy & Wounded at Loos

Private Bernard Frederick Coop: British War Medal (766353 PTE. B.F. COOP. 3-CAN. INF.); Victory Medal (766353 PTE. B.F. COOP. 3-CAN. INF.); Memorial Cross (766353 Pte. B.F.COOP); and Memorial Plaque (BERNARD FREDERICK COOP). Naming is officially impressed on the WWI Pair and is in raised lettering on the Memorial Plaque. Un-mounted, extremely fine. Accompanied by an addressed envelope for the Memorial Plaque (addressed to his mother, Mrs. F. Coop, from the Militia Council, Ottawa), his Parchment Scroll (named in red ink to "Pte. Bernard Frederick Coop, Canadian Infantry Bn."), Memorial Cross Forwarding Card, a letter from the War Office in London (dated August 31, 1917), a Department of National Defence Militia Service Letter (dated July 11, 1927 at Ottawa), a Canadian Posthumous Forwarding Letter for his Campaign Awards, Overseas Military Forces of Canada Burial Report (dated January 30, 1918), Their Majesty's Condolence Slip with Envelope, a Buckingham Palace Condolence Letter, a Condolence Card from the City of Birmingham, England (named to "Private Frederick B. Coop, 3rd Canadian Infantry", signed by the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress), a Letter of Condolence from M.L. Archer, Chaplain, 1st Canadian Infantry Battalion (addressed to Mrs. Coop, dated May 14, 1917), along with copies of his Index Cards, Attestation Paper, Service Records, Medical Records and Will. Lance-Corporal John Howard Riley Coop: 1914-15 Star (2378 PTE. J.H.R. COOP. LEIC. R.); and Memorial Plaque (JOHN HOWARD RILEY COOP). Naming is officially impressed on the WWI Pair and is in raised lettering on the Memorial Plaque. Extremely fine. Accompanied by the protective card cover and addressed envelope for the Memorial Plaque (addressed to his mother, Mrs. F. Coop), his Parchment Scroll (named in red ink to "L.Cpl. J.H.R. Coop M.F. Police"), a Posthumous Award Letter for the 1914-15 Star from the Military Police Corps Record Office (addressed to his mother, Fanny Coop, stamped and dated February 25, 1921), a Buckingham Palace Condolence Letter, along with a copy of his Medal Awards Index Card. All documents have been previously mounted in an album, exhibiting residue on their reverses.

Footnote: Frank Riley Coop and Fanny Coop of 43 Arden Road, Birchfields, Handsworth, Birmingham, England had three sons who fought in the Great War, all three of which were casualties, with two having died. Bernard Frederick Coop was born in Birmingham, England on October 16, 1896. He immigrated to Canada in April 1913, at the age of 16. Coop signed his Attestation Paper as a Private with the 123rd Infantry Battalion, Royal Grenadier Overseas Battalion 10th Regiment, on November 29, 1915 in Toronto, Ontario, at the age of 19, naming his next-of-kin as his mother, stating that he had no previous military service, that he was Single and his trade was that of Farming. The Battalion sailed  August 9, 1916 under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel W.B. Kingsmill, with a strength of 12 officers and 369 other ranks. In England, the Battalion was re-designated the 123rd Pioneer Battalion. He arrived in England on August 18, 1916 aboard the S.S. Cameronia and six weeks later was transferred to the 3rd Battalion, Canadian Infantry, Central Ontario Regiment on October 10th, joining his unit in the field on the 11th. After seven months in France, he was Killed in Action on May 3, 1917 on the first day of the Second Battle of Bullecourt or during the Third Battle of Scarpe: Capture of Fresnoy, at the age of 20 and is remembered with honour on the Vimy Memorial, Pas-de-Calais, France. His mother was informed that his burial place "was carried out East of Arleux-en-Gohelle" (near Arras) and "that in spite of very careful and systematic searching, it has not been possible to relocate the grave of this soldier." In his Will, he left his estate to his mother, Fanny, also naming her executrix. As his father had pre-deceased him, his mother received his British War Medal, Victory Medal, Memorial Plaque, Scroll and Memorial Cross. John Howard Riley Coop was born in Erdington, Leicester, England. He departed for the French theatre on March 2, 1915 with the Leicester Regiment (2378), later becoming a Lance Corporal with the Military Police Corps (P/7834). He died on November 8, 1918, at the age of 24. One source indicates that he died from Pneumonia while at home, following wounds received at Loos in October 1915, while another source states that he died at home, possibly from the Influenza Epidemic. He is buried in the Erdington Greek Orthodox Churchyard in Erdington, Birmingham, Warwickshire, England. His mother received his 1914-15 Star and Memorial Plaque. A third son, Gunner C. Coop was a member of the Royal Field Artillery and was wounded while in action on January 3, 1918, at an unknown location.