Name: Frances Ellen Cooper Rank: Lieutenant (Nursing Sister) Service: Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps Date of Birth: August 7, 1910 Place of Birth: Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan Date of Enlistment: March 14, 1941 Place of Enlistment: Halifax, Nova Scotia Address at Enlistment: Halifax, Nova Scotia Age at Enlistment: 32 Date of Death: October 26, 1945 Age: 35 Cemetery: Rosedale Cemetery, Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan Reference: Family Plot, Section 6, Block 6 3 Commemorated on Page 505 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance Displayed in the Memorial Chamber of the Peace Tower in Ottawa on October 27 Frances was the daughter of Isaac Witcher Cooper (1874–1939), a farmer, and Belle Cooper (1876-1961) of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. She had a sister, Mabel Cooper (1902-1929), and a brother, George M. Cooper (1903-1987). Her parents and siblings were born in the USA. The Coopers arrived in Canada in 1908. Mr. Cooper had been employed as a grain buyer in Illinois. She became a registered nurse in 1932 and was employed in private nursing for seven years before enlistment. Frances graduated from the Vancouver General Hospital and practiced as an X-ray technician in Halifax, where she was a staff member at the Cogswell Street Hospital. She held memberships with both the Registered Nurses’ Association of British Columbia and the Registered Nurses’ Association of Nova Scotia. In March 1941, she enlisted as a Nursing Sister with the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps in Halifax. Her military service included postings to the following hospitals and units: Halifax Military Hospital: October 1941 No. 1 Canadian General Hospital: November 1941 No. 5 Casualty Clearing Station & No. 7 General Hospital: February 23, 1942 No. 7 Canadian General Hospital: June 27, 1942 No. 7 Canadian General Hospital: October 15, 1943 Italy: March 8, 1945 France: March 10, 1945 No. 1 Canadian Repatriation Depot: June 21, 1945 Vancouver Military Hospital: September 1945 Following the war, Frances returned to Canada and was posted to the Vancouver Military Hospital. Tragically, on October 26, 1945, Lieutenant Frances Ellen Cooper died in Vancouver at the age of 35. Her death was attributed to surgical complications resulting from the administration of incompatible blood. For her service, she was awarded the 1939-45 Star, the Italy Star, the France-Germany Star, the Defence Medal, the War Medal, and the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and Clasp.

Sources: Canadian Virtual War Memorial WWII Cdn Women Project