Died
W Whelan 6 March 1942 aged 31
H Coop 6 March 1942
Sources
Barrow News
Place
Walks
Barrow 1 point 11
Themes
Herbert Coop and William Whelan
The Home Guard
July 2008
Volunteer W Whelan, 1st County of Lancaster bn. Home Guard, formerly the Border Regt.
29 May 2013
Corporal H Coop, 1st County of Lancaster bn. Home Guard
Where are the graves?
Whelan: At the extreme north-western end of the cemetery, below the Catholic Chapel, near a closely tended strip of War Graves (Polish; HMCS Saguenay)
Coop: Much nearer to the main cemetery entrance: C of E section 10, grave 1822. From the main gate, take the 3rd (narrow) path going laterally across the cemetery. Coop’s grave is about 40 yds along, 5 rows down on the left of the path (there is a large cross just on the right of the path at this point).
The Barrow News 7 March 1942 wrote
The Barrow News, 7 March 1942RAMPSIDE FIRE TRAGEDY
TWO MEN LOSE THEIR LIVES
Two members of the Home Guard were found dead in a shelter near Rampside yesterday, apparently having been overcome by fumes. They were:- Herbert Coop (62) of 66 Cheltenham-street; and William Wheelan (sic) (31), of 38, Lord-street, Barrow.
Discovery of the men’s fate was made about 9.30 a.m. when Walter Rainey, of 24, Mount Pleasant, Barrow, saw smoke coming from a ventilator of the shelter. He found a fire blazing in one of the compartments of the shelter, and although he attempted to gain admittance was beaten back by the flames.
Barrow Fire Brigade was called and on entry being made both men were found to be dead.
Coop was kneeling by the side of a bunk, but Wheelan had apparently attempted to reach the exit before being overcome, and had sustained burns.
There was a combustion stove in the compartment were (sic) the bunks were, but the fire apparently occurred in a separate compartment and its origin is a mystery.
Coop, who was a married man, was a corporal, and Wheelan, a private, was single.
