FREDERICK ARTHUR COOPER 

Frederick Arthur  COOPER
Rank: Lieutenant
Service Number:189023.
Regiment: 1st Nottinghamshire Yeomanry (Sherwood Rangers)
Killed In Action Friday 15th January 1943
Age 30
FromCrewe.
County Memorial Ruskin Road School, Crewe WW2
Commemorated\Buried Tripoli War Cemetery
Grave\Panel Ref: 7.G.2

Frederick Arthur 's Story.

Frederick Arthur Cooper

Early Life

Born in Crewe in 1912 to parents George and Florence Cooper Frederick studied at Crewe Secondary School from 1923 to 1930.

War Service

Frederick served with  the Nottinghamshire Yeomanry (Sherwood Rangers) a tank battalion which was part of the 8th Armoured Brigade in the Western Desert campaign.

Circumstances of Death

 

15th January 1943

The Battle of Wadi Zem Zem and the advance on Tripoli.


Battle Location

15 January 1943 was  very bad day for the Sherwood Rangers, the worst of the war so far in terms of losses, losing 18 men killed ( including Frederick) with many more wounded.

Sherwood Rangers Sherman tank and infantry advance across Wadi Zem Zem under fire

The Sherwood Rangers along with the rest of 8th Armoured Brigade and infantry units of the 2nd New Zealand Division were tasked with attacking the German positions south-east of Tripoli through an area known as Wadi Zem Zem, a 3 mile wide, 100 mile long valley with steep mountains and cliffs on either side.

German tanks on fire in Wadi Zem Zem

As the sun rose on Friday 15th January A Squadron led the way in but soon came under heavy anti-tank fire which seemed impossible to pinpoint and knock out.

C Squadron were then ordered forward and pushed through to the middle of the wadi where the Germans had let them in and were waiting. The enemy then let loose at C Squadron from positions on the high ground on both sides of the wadi.

During the course of the day half the squadrons tanks were knocked out, but, by nightfall the Regiment had reached the other side of the wadi and taken key German positions.

Still under shell fire, they were forced to pull back and leaguer for the night.

The next day the Germans had withdrawn but the Sherwood Rangers pursued them for the next three days to the outskirts of Tripoli.

Frederick is commemorated at the Tripoli War Cemetery in Libya and the Ruskin School WW2 Memorial Plaque l