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

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18 years 1 month

Posts: 2,123

Andy:
I see what you mean, but the original does not help much. It says:

il compito affidato dalla Direzione, dalle Autorità britanniche, dal museo RAF.

the task entrusted by the Direction, by the British authorities, by the RAF Museum.

What "Direction"? I suppose the British authorities are the Embassy staff, but where does the RAFM come in? There is simply a comma!

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24 years 2 months

Posts: 2,598

That button says

made by s s d bros h v 1939

S S D Bros was a supplier to UK Military based in Aligarh, Utter Pradesh, North Western India

Sgt Coppings service number as previous stated #785025 was in a batch between 785000 to 786999 (highest known number 786379) issued in July 1940 to Local enlistments in Far East

Would uniforms in the Far East (to me meaning Burma, Hong Hong, Singapore etc) have been supplied from India?

I would have imagined Middle East uniforms would have been supplied more locally

Good piece of detective work, Paul!

I had looked, but didn't find it.

Certainly seems credible that the button could well be associated, then. Although other possibilities cannot be excluded.

Meanwhile, this link on the Italian website is worth a view:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OWPg5FLh8o

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24 years 2 months

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Also re: Elliots Metal Co Ltd Birmingham

This was not a scrap metal dealer that still exists (there is one in Reading of same name) but a subsidary company of ICI that made rolled brass and copper, copper wire and tube and was based in Selly Oak, Birmingham and also in Swansea

Interestingly one Neville Chamberlain was once a a director of this company..

Yes, that is what I had found too.

Not sure where they discovered Elliot's were suppliers to the RAF. They may well have been, although for what its worth a different firm by that name (Elliot's), of course, provided the standard RAF wall clocks and sector clocks.

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18 years 5 months

Posts: 472

Also re: Elliots Metal Co Ltd Birmingham

This was not a scrap metal dealer that still exists (there is one in Reading of same name) but a subsidary company of ICI that made rolled brass and copper, copper wire and tube and was based in Selly Oak, Birmingham and also in Swansea

Interestingly one Neville Chamberlain was once a a director of this company..

So I guess this is a name plate off a 127lb box of mixed copper alloying elements Be (Beryllium) & Sa (old chem symbol for Samaruim) . Both used with copper to make watch springs and non sparking tools etc.

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It would make sense to leave a trail of loose items, in case the plane was found, as for the chute parts, again sunshade during the day, warmth during the night.. Poor guy, it most of been horrific.

So I guess this is a name plate off a 127lb box of mixed copper alloying elements Be (Beryllium) & Sa (old chem symbol for Samaruim) . Both used with copper to make watch springs and non sparking tools etc.

Not exactly standard issue equipment, then.

The single punch-hole would fit with this being a tag that has been roughly banged onto a box or some other container. What it might be doing in a P40 pilot's pocket is a mystery. What it might be doing in the middle of the Sahara is quite another.

I suppose the only good thing is that TIGHAR are not involved, else the expositions would doubtless be endless.

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18 years 5 months

Posts: 472

Not exactly standard issue equipment, then.

The single punch-hole would fit with this being a tag that has been roughly banged onto a box or some other container. What it might be doing in a P40 pilot's pocket is a mystery. What it might be doing in the middle of the Sahara is quite another.

I suppose the only good thing is that TIGHAR are not involved, else the expositions would doubtless be endless.

Egypt was/is a major supplier of Be where it's picked up off the desert floor. I wonder if this has just fallen off a miners box while being transported over bumpy desert.

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16 years 4 months

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Only Just found her...

When it was mentioned a few pages back that finding this P40 was like finding a needle in a haystack, in a field full of haystacks was NO joke!! I have only just found her and you can't see her using Google Earth as the detail is poor. I ended up using Bing Maps...

Good news if they can verify the remains of that of F/Sgt Copping!

Picture below:

http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww142/PhantomPhil/Misc/P40.png

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P40

Well done Phantom Phil.

If you have some spare time, can you check the rest of the Sahara!:D:D

Try and find the 'Spitfire'.

regards

Mark

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Funny you should mention that as I have come across what looks to be another aircraft while looking for the P40. It's more near the coast towards LG09. I'll give you more info when I look at it using Bing instead of Google!

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Great work from the Qattara team.

I am disappointed even more now (although I should have expected it) after looking at their close up photos nearly all of the cockpit instruments have had their glass smashed and some of the warning lights have been removed or broken off. It is less like a time capsule every day. You can tell from their website that the Qattara guys are upset too.

Paul

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17 years 6 months

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I have been following this thread from the start, but not posting...
I really do hope Flt Sgt Copping has at last been found.

Terrific work from the Qattara team. Well done chaps.

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18 years 1 month

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Might the metal tag be related to the Polish oil-men's visit?

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21 years

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Good piece of detective work, Paul!

I had looked, but didn't find it.

Certainly seems credible that the button could well be associated, then. Although other possibilities cannot be excluded.

Meanwhile, this link on the Italian website is worth a view:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OWPg5FLh8o

I know in the end it's just a bunch of metal put together into a machine, but save the poor girl for heaven's sake!

I'd say she's earned some tender loving care out of the sun after all these years. If for no other reason then to remember the loss of the pilot who tried to save her.

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11 years 10 months

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I see what you mean, but the original does not help much. It says:

il compito affidato dalla Direzione, dalle Autorità britanniche, dal museo RAF.

the task entrusted by the Direction, by the British authorities, by the RAF Museum.

What "Direction"? I suppose the British authorities are the Embassy staff, but where does the RAFM come in? There is simply a comma!
__________________
Laurence

the direction is: chief of ARIDO ASSOCIATION the Governing Council approved the dispatch of the Association avev giving us some diretive

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11 years 10 months

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in my website there is a second pictures collection about the relics near the plane

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18 years 1 month

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qattara: re the direction is: chief of ARIDO ASSOCIATION the Governing Council approved the dispatch of the Association avev giving us some diretive

Thanks for clarifying.

Member for

11 years 10 months

Posts: 52

Dear
The Italian flag that you can see in the pictures comes with us in all our expeditions and we raise it because we are Italians and for the photographs/videos.

It was temporary put (with the flag of our association) on the P40 during our staying there and was removed when we went on.

We do not leave anything behind us in the desert and we do not take with us anything that belongs to the desert.

Regards
:)