CLARE GORDON COOPER (430440)
460 SQUADRON RAAF

Clare Gordon Cooper was a crew member of Lancaster bomber NG468 (AR-J2) of 460 Squadron RAAF which went down on the night of 21/22 February 1945 during an operation to Duisburg.

CREW
F/O Bruce Heffer (422952)
Sgt George Freeman Rudge G F (RAF 3025166)
F/O Austin Flynn (432146)
F/Sgt Albert Russell Main (436559)
F/Sgt Clare Gordon Cooper (430440)
F/Sgt Robert Charles Styles (441367)
F/Sgt Frederick Joseph Sheridan (441296)

Ruth Cooper contacted me on 2 July 2001 after coming across my website on the 460 Squadron.

Ruth had started researching her family tree and had been told that her grandfather was in the 460 Squadron. Her grandfather Clare Cooper had died nearly 10 years previously and lived in another state so Ruth did not get to see him often or get told many stories of his earlier years. Ruth asked if I had any information on him regarding his time in the RAAF.

I was able to pass on the following information to Ruth that same day:-

Clare Gordon Cooper did one Operation with D. H. Heggie as pilot. The following information is from John Watson's Pilots and Crews Lists:-

  H15 Heggie D H -P- 22/3/45 - 5 KIA / 2 POW                 (See R08) 20 Ops
  --------------
  (E) Brooke H J     Brooke H J     Brooke H J     Brooke H J    Brooke H J
  (B) Ambler K E     Ambler K E     Ambler K E     Ambler K E    Ambler K E
  (N) Marshall D     Dean W T       Dean W T       Dean W T      Dean W T
  (W) Flannagan G P  Richins A R    Hawkins R N    Cummings J D  Cooper C G
  (G) Robinson D     Robinson D     Robinson D     Robinson D    Robinson D
  (G) Dunkerley H    Dunkerley H    Dunkerley H    Dunkerley H   Dunkerley H
               1              1              3              1            1
                  ---------------------------------------
  (E) Brooke H J     Brooke H J     Brooke H J     Brooke H J   +
  (B) Ambler K E     Ambler K E     Ambler K E     Ambler K E   P
  (N) Donnelly K M   Dean W T       Dean W T       Dean W T     +
  (W) Hawkins R N    Gerrard J M    D'Alton F A    Trotter A C  +
  (G) Robinson D     Robinson D     Robinson D     Robinson D   +
  (G) Dunkerley H    Dunkerley H    Dunkerley H    Dunkerley H  +
                1              1             1              8

And he did 7 operations with B. Heffer and the aircraft crash landed by the looks of it or they bailed out during a raid to Duisburg on 21 Feb 1945 and were all made Prisoners of War.

  H14 Heffer B -P- 21/2/45- A/C Missing - All POWs            (See R09) 8 Ops
  ------------
  (E) Rudge G F      Rudge G F       Rudge G F     Rudge G F     P
  (B) Whiticar R H   Mc Bean H W     Mc Bean H W   Flynn A       P
  (N) Main A R       Main A R        Main A R      Main A R      P
  (W) Cooper C G     Cooper C G      Cooper C G    Cooper C G    P
  (G) Styles R C     Styles R C      Styles R C    Styles R C    P
  (G) Sheridan F J   Sheridan F J    Dixon C       Sheridan F J  P
                1              4           1               1

Ruth responded to my e-mail with the above information, again on the same day, saying:-

"I don't know what to say! Talk about being prompt! Thank you so much, I am speechless (this doesn't happen very often!) we are all stoked here.

Pop has six children, 3 sons and 3 daughters who will be just stoked at this info. I have been on the phone to dad for the last half an hour telling him about the information you sent through. He would like to email you sometime to say thanks and to offer details from pops 460 Squadron original log book/ flight records etc (I didn't know he had these!!) if they will be of any help. My dad's name is Neville Cooper, he is the eldest of pop's children and would be more than glad to help out if necessary.

Once again, thank you sooooooooooo much!

Kind Regards,

Ruth Cooper

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I'd like to thank Ruth Cooper for her assistance with this web page.

Can anyone help me with more information on Clare Gordon Cooper?

"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products

This page first produced 2 July 2001

This page last updated 17 February 2023