Frederick George Coppins (25 October 1889 – 20 March 1963) was a Canadian recipient of the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British decorations system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British ...

, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

and other

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...

forces. He was born in Charing, Kent, England and served with the Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment) prior to the outbreak of the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. He emigrated to Canada, settling in

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...

. He was living in

Edmonton Edmonton is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. It is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Central Alberta ...

at the time of enlistment. He signed up to the 19th Alberta Dragoons.

Details

He was 28 years old, and a

corporal Corporal is a military rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The rank is usually the lowest ranking non-commissioned officer. In some militaries, the rank of corporal nominally corr ...

in the 8th Battalion,

Canadian Expeditionary Force The Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF; French: ''Corps expéditionnaire canadien'') was the expeditionary warfare, expeditionary field force of Canada during the First World War. It was formed on August 15, 1914, following United Kingdom declarat ...

during the Battle of Amiens when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC. On 9 August 1918 at Hatchet Woods, near

Amiens Amiens (English: or ; ; , or ) is a city and Communes of France, commune in northern France, located north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme (department), Somme Departments of France, department in the region ...

, France, Corporal Coppins' platoon came unexpectedly under fire of numerous machine-guns. It was not possible to advance or retire and there was no cover. Corporal Coppins, calling on four men to follow him, leapt forward in the face of intense machine-gun fire and rushed straight for the guns. The four men with him were killed and he was wounded, but going on alone, he killed the operator of the first gun and three of the crew and took four prisoners. Despite his wound, he then continued with his platoon to the final objective.

Later life

After the war, he returned to Winnipeg. He enlisted as a special constable during the

Winnipeg General Strike The Winnipeg General Strike of 1919 was one of the most famous and influential strikes in Canadian history. For six weeks, May 15 to June 26, more than 30,000 strikers brought economic activity to a standstill in Winnipeg, Manitoba, which at the ...

. Within hours of his appointment, he charged his horse into a gathering of strikers and was dragged off his horse and severely pummelled. Coppins played a minor role in the 1930 film '' All Quiet on the Western Front'', as a German machine gunner. A record shows his enlistment in World War II at Angel's Camp Calaveras Co., California, aged 50, but it is unknown what role he played. He was living in

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

when he died. Coppins' medals are located in a collection at the Royal Winnipeg Rifles Museum,

, Manitoba. A paving stone commemorating Coppins was unveiled in Charing in 2018.

References

External links

Frederick George Coppins digitized service file

Legion Magazine

Canadian Forces biography

Canadian veterans biography

Canadian Great War biography
* List of Canadian Victoria Cross recipients {{DEFAULTSORT:Coppins, Frederick 1889 births 1963 deaths Canadian World War I recipients of the Victoria Cross English emigrants to Canada People from Charing Canadian Expeditionary Force soldiers Canadian emigrants to the United States Canadian police officers Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment soldiers People of the Winnipeg general strike British Army personnel of World War I Royal Winnipeg Rifles soldiers Military personnel from Kent