Flight Sergeant Denis Charles Hughmore Copping , #785025
260 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (enlisted on 11/12/40).
Son of Sydney Omer Copping and Adelaide Copping, of Southend-on-Sea, Essex.
In mid 1942, Flight Sergeant Copping was flying a semi-routine "ferry flight" between two British RAF bases, during the North African campaign of World War 2, when something went wrong. He had taken off near Al Wadi al Jadid, Egypt, in order to deliver a malfunctioning Kittyhawk P-40 III, to have repairs to the undercarriage, because it's landing gear could not be retracted. Sometime during the flight, he and the aircraft disappeared. Both were reported missing for the duration of the war, and remained undiscovered and a total mystery for nearly 70 years.
On 11th April 2012, it was reported on the news that Fl/Sgt. Copping's crash landed aircraft had been discovered in remote part of the North African desert by a Polish oil worker. The crash site was about 200 miles from the nearest town, in an isolated part of the Egyptian Sahara. It was thought the pilot may have survived the crash. Human bones were later discovered "walking distance" from the well preserved and surprisingly intact "belly crashed" aircraft. Unfortunately, to date, attempts at DNA confirmation have proven unsuccessful. Thus, leaving considerable conjecture, speculation, and a total mystery as the final moments and actual fate of the 25 year old pilot, Flight Sergeant Copping. (Bio by: Jay Lance)
Pending Edit - Brother: Lionel Sidney Copping? #3131373?
260 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (enlisted on 11/12/40).
Son of Sydney Omer Copping and Adelaide Copping, of Southend-on-Sea, Essex.
In mid 1942, Flight Sergeant Copping was flying a semi-routine "ferry flight" between two British RAF bases, during the North African campaign of World War 2, when something went wrong. He had taken off near Al Wadi al Jadid, Egypt, in order to deliver a malfunctioning Kittyhawk P-40 III, to have repairs to the undercarriage, because it's landing gear could not be retracted. Sometime during the flight, he and the aircraft disappeared. Both were reported missing for the duration of the war, and remained undiscovered and a total mystery for nearly 70 years.
On 11th April 2012, it was reported on the news that Fl/Sgt. Copping's crash landed aircraft had been discovered in remote part of the North African desert by a Polish oil worker. The crash site was about 200 miles from the nearest town, in an isolated part of the Egyptian Sahara. It was thought the pilot may have survived the crash. Human bones were later discovered "walking distance" from the well preserved and surprisingly intact "belly crashed" aircraft. Unfortunately, to date, attempts at DNA confirmation have proven unsuccessful. Thus, leaving considerable conjecture, speculation, and a total mystery as the final moments and actual fate of the 25 year old pilot, Flight Sergeant Copping. (Bio by: Jay Lance)
Pending Edit - Brother: Lionel Sidney Copping? #3131373?
Flight Sergeant Denis Charles Hughmore Copping , #785025
260 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (enlisted on 11/12/40).
Son of Sydney Omer Copping and Adelaide Copping, of Southend-on-Sea, Essex.
In mid 1942, Flight Sergeant Copping was flying a semi-routine "ferry flight" between two British RAF bases, during the North African campaign of World War 2, when something went wrong. He had taken off near Al Wadi al Jadid, Egypt, in order to deliver a malfunctioning Kittyhawk P-40 III, to have repairs to the undercarriage, because it's landing gear could not be retracted. Sometime during the flight, he and the aircraft disappeared. Both were reported missing for the duration of the war, and remained undiscovered and a total mystery for nearly 70 years.
On 11th April 2012, it was reported on the news that Fl/Sgt. Copping's crash landed aircraft had been discovered in remote part of the North African desert by a Polish oil worker. The crash site was about 200 miles from the nearest town, in an isolated part of the Egyptian Sahara. It was thought the pilot may have survived the crash. Human bones were later discovered "walking distance" from the well preserved and surprisingly intact "belly crashed" aircraft. Unfortunately, to date, attempts at DNA confirmation have proven unsuccessful. Thus, leaving considerable conjecture, speculation, and a total mystery as the final moments and actual fate of the 25 year old pilot, Flight Sergeant Copping. (Bio by: Jay Lance)
Pending Edit - Brother: Lionel Sidney Copping? #3131373?
260 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (enlisted on 11/12/40).
Son of Sydney Omer Copping and Adelaide Copping, of Southend-on-Sea, Essex.
In mid 1942, Flight Sergeant Copping was flying a semi-routine "ferry flight" between two British RAF bases, during the North African campaign of World War 2, when something went wrong. He had taken off near Al Wadi al Jadid, Egypt, in order to deliver a malfunctioning Kittyhawk P-40 III, to have repairs to the undercarriage, because it's landing gear could not be retracted. Sometime during the flight, he and the aircraft disappeared. Both were reported missing for the duration of the war, and remained undiscovered and a total mystery for nearly 70 years.
On 11th April 2012, it was reported on the news that Fl/Sgt. Copping's crash landed aircraft had been discovered in remote part of the North African desert by a Polish oil worker. The crash site was about 200 miles from the nearest town, in an isolated part of the Egyptian Sahara. It was thought the pilot may have survived the crash. Human bones were later discovered "walking distance" from the well preserved and surprisingly intact "belly crashed" aircraft. Unfortunately, to date, attempts at DNA confirmation have proven unsuccessful. Thus, leaving considerable conjecture, speculation, and a total mystery as the final moments and actual fate of the 25 year old pilot, Flight Sergeant Copping. (Bio by: Jay Lance)
Pending Edit - Brother: Lionel Sidney Copping? #3131373?
