Margaret Cooper (WRNS officer) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Margaret Cooper
Born	Margaret Elizabeth Douglas 25 January 1918 Punta del Este, Uruguay
Died	18 July 2016(2016-07-18) (aged 98) Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Nationality	British
Education	St Mary's School, Wantage, England
Spouse(s)	Craig Cooper
Children	4

Margaret Elizabeth Cooper (born Douglas; 25 January 1918 – 18 July 2016) was a very important person during World War II. She was part of the Women's Royal Naval Service, also known as the "Wrens." Margaret worked at a super-secret place called Bletchley Park in England. Her job was to help break secret codes and messages.

Early Life and School Days

Margaret Elizabeth Douglas was born in Punta del Este, Uruguay, on January 25, 1918. Her father, Jack Douglas, was from Canada. He owned a large beef ranch in Argentina. Her mother, Vera, had both British and Argentinian family. Margaret had three brothers and sisters: Katherine, Evelyn, and Sholto. She went to school in England at St Mary's School.

Secret War Work

Margaret joined the Women's Royal Naval Service in September 1941. These women were called "Wrens" and they helped the British Navy during the war. Margaret first trained to be a cook. But then, a special request came for volunteers to do secret work. It was said that Winston Churchill, the Prime Minister, asked for them himself! Margaret and many others agreed.

They soon found themselves at Bletchley Park. This was a top-secret base in central England. It was where the British tried to break enemy codes. Margaret was surprised because she expected to go to a naval base.

At first, Margaret worked in a building called Hut 11. Here, she helped with special machines called "bombes." These machines were used to decode secret messages. Later in 1942, she moved to Stanmore. More bombes were being set up there. This was a backup plan in case the main ones at Bletchley Park were bombed.

Margaret then became an assistant to Frank Birch. He was in charge of the naval section in Hut 4. This section was known as the "U-boat room." U-boats were German submarines that attacked ships. Margaret's job was to share important information with the Navy's main intelligence center in London. She helped them track the movements of these U-boats.

Margaret was promoted several times. First, she became a petty officer. Then, she became a third officer in April 1944. After that, she was sent to Plymouth. She worked at an underground base there called Mount Wise. Her role was to connect Bletchley Park with Plymouth. This helped them keep track of U-boat movements. Margaret never told anyone about her secret work. She kept it a secret until 1974, when the story of Bletchley Park was finally revealed.

Family Life

In 1945, Margaret married Craig Cooper. He was an officer in the Royal Canadian Air Force. They had met three years earlier at Bletchley railway station. Their first meeting was very brief, and they didn't even exchange names! But later in 1942, Craig sent her a letter. It was addressed to "the blonde Wren from Argentina on the platform at Bletchley station."

Margaret and Craig got married in England. After the war, Craig went back to his teaching job in Canada. They bought a 65-acre farm in Carlisle, Ontario. It was called Cherry Tree Farm. On their farm, they raised beef cattle and horses. They also had a cherry orchard. Margaret and Craig had four children: Elizabeth, Ian, Jane, and Peter.

Margaret Cooper passed away on July 18, 2016. She was 98 years old.