Flt Sgt Copping's P-40 From The Egyptian Desert

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By: walshlee - 10th May 2012 at 14:54 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

Updates

Mark,

I can add to my earlier post on Sheppard's published accounts of the incident involving F/Sgt Copping and this P40.

I do agree it is too early to jump to conclusions but after seeing the GPS location and were the LG is in relation I am pretty sure it is him.

I can add...

1) Copping was flying this aircraft the night before and nearly put the landing gear through the wings on landing. Landing into the sun and late evening he may have had problems seeing the strip and nearly crashed this a/c. Hence the locked to u/c the next day.

2) Copping left the next day without Sheppard and headed south of the LG with his gear locked down as the AMEs had done so in order to fly the a/c. I recall Sheppard leaving 30 mins later and caught up to Copping. He flew along side him on both the starboard and port sides trying to contact via R/T and hand signals, the flew in front and dropped his gear. Copping didn't follow Sheppard to the east and continued flying in a S/SW direction. Hence the aircraft being were it is, nearly due south of the LG.

The published events don't and may never reveal what really happened and they may not even appear in his RAF records. Remember Hanbury was killed a while after this accident over the English Channel. Only his surviving family have access to these accounts (if they appear) and are held in the AHB.

with respects to the Form 1180s that Andy eluded to. I have attached a copy of Spitfire X4492 that crashed in the UK during photo ops. Just and example but they do include the engine type and serial number. BUT remember these engines only had a lifespan of 40hrs and were ofter swapped and never recorded on the RAF Movement Cards, but in the a/c logs that I guess were not found on board? It is also unclear it this P40's crash card included the engine included at the factory or any others that might have been swapped in. Let us hope these engine serials help up ID this aircraft if the factory plates don't

Happy to hear this hit the papers and that a search and recovery is going to happen. I am haunted by those photos of that chute however. I recall being told that if these guys went down in the desert or anywhere else YOU stay with your a/c.

Anyone have access to the RSU logs to see if a search or mention of the crash?

more later....

Lee

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By: Anonymous - 10th May 2012 at 15:04 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

Lee

The engine numbers that were on the F.1180 documents were always accurate for the engines fitted to the airframe at the time of the crash. Remember; these were contemporary records made from F.700s held at unit level and thus would have had the then current engine number transposed from the F.700. However, the engine number recorded on the F.78 was specifically the engine number when the aircraft was delivered. Subsequent engine numbers were not recorded on the F78 when engines were changed. Thus, the F78 is of limited value in terms of any reliance upon an engine number for i'd purposes. An exception, though, was with Spitfire P9374. Here, the airframe and engine had so few hours that the aircraft was lost with the same engine that was fitted on delivery.

The recording of the engine number on the 1180 for what is supposed to be this aeroplane is certainly encouraging. However, if it is not Coppings aircraft (and ends up being a combat loss) then there will be no 1180 since these were exclusively to record accidents, not flying battle occurrences.

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