I think it's worth adding the photos of Flight Sergeant Dennis Copping to the thread in case they disappear from the links provided.
I think it's worth adding the photos of Flight Sergeant Dennis Copping to the thread in case they disappear from the links provided.
Looking for LDO marked EK2s and items relating to U-406.....
First place I'd look is under the starboard wing as he may have sheltered there judging by the proximty of the parachute. It is increasingly looking like the pilot is F/S Copping, the serial no. does appear to say ET574 when digitally enhanced, which was the a/c he was flying. But, it has yet to be confirmed, and as such it cannot be certain at this time that it is his a/c. That is why I think it is wrong to name him yet, but now the papers have got hold of it, well....
'I do not think we can hope for any better thing now.
We shall stick it out to the end, but we are getting weaker of course, and the end cannot be far.
It seems a pity, but I do not think I can write more. R. SCOTT.
Last Entry - For God's sake look after our people.'
In memory of Capt. Robert Falcon Scott, Edward Wilson, Henry Bowers, Lawrence Oates and Edgar Evans. South Pole Expedition, 30th March 1912.
Here is an article. It says: „Richard Allnutt and I have played with a couple of the photos to try to bring out the serial number on the back of the aircraft. On the right side, we were able to distinguish a letter “T”, a numeral “4” and part of the numeral “7”. On the left side, we can barely see the remains of a letter “E”. With these clues, we are quite certain that this will finally be identified as ET 574.”
Original Kittyhawk HS-B Discovered > Vintage Wings of Canada
In my opinion:
When we have not known the serial number yet, there were too many coincidence facts for the theory about ET 574.
- There were two P-40s with HS-B code letters in the 260. sqn. ET 574 and FR 350. Last one was a Kittyhawk Mk III. This variant of the P-40 was different from the Mk Ia - the one which has been discovered in March – in many details. One of the main differences is the vertical stabilizer.
Looking the pictures it can be realized that this plane has not a larger vertical stabilizer, so it is an Mk Ia.
- Mission report says, Copping flew the plane for repairing. It also reported, the plane had some combat damages and flew with gear down.
Examining the wreckage, it has some bullet holes – not that ones what the local peoples fired into it – and the tailwheel and its doors are in open position. It is clear, when the plane hit the ground the landing gear was torn off, because it was in open position but was not locked.
- In the RAF, or USAF or Soviet Air Force was a common practice, when a rescue team find the crashed plane and its’ pilot, they saved the most important parts from the plane: guns, ammunitions, RT, papers and documents, and if they had any possibility, they removed the engine. Sometimes they destroyed the secret parts, for example as IFF.
Examining the wreckage, it has had all of ammunition, guns, RT.
It is evident, nobody has found this plane.. until now.
In my opinion these facts is more than enough evidence that this plane is poor Dennis Copping’s Kittyhawk.
But indeed, an engine or a gun serial number could give us the most certain evidence.
The largest newspaper in Holland wrote a large artikle about him :
tabs window
Gents
I find it fairly amazing that when first put up this aircraft was a model/CGI etc. Even when the youtube video's came along there was still some doubt.
I find it amazing that serial numbers can be read off the pictures when digitally enhanced, even though the same people couldn't even get the correct model of P-40 right. Even more so that there is differences between where the serial numbers were placed and how they were applied (between the two similar type models (i.e P-40E-1CU and H-87A-3)) so are they looking in the correct place for the serial number (for this particular model) or looking where the H-87A-3 serial numbers were painted?. Its also amazing that only one group has managed to be able to see this serial when many others could not. Its good to be able to see something once the information has been given to you.
As for there being only two HS-B marked aircraft, I find that difficult to believe as I can find 8 HS-B marked aircraft in just a quick look at the records I have here.
The big things needed from this airframe is the C/N or Ship number, or the engine number, as Guns (unlike USAAF records) are not noted on the loss report.
OK having said that the aircraft is indeed ET574.
Buz
Last edited by Buz; 05-23-2012 at 01:32 PM.
Interesting post.
I understand that the aircraft has been positively I.D'd as being ET574 by the discovery
of several data plates and therefore is Copping's aircraft. His surviving family were informed of this last week by the powers that be. Can you confirm this Buz?
Regards, Ned.
'I do not think we can hope for any better thing now.
We shall stick it out to the end, but we are getting weaker of course, and the end cannot be far.
It seems a pity, but I do not think I can write more. R. SCOTT.
Last Entry - For God's sake look after our people.'
In memory of Capt. Robert Falcon Scott, Edward Wilson, Henry Bowers, Lawrence Oates and Edgar Evans. South Pole Expedition, 30th March 1912.
Hi Ned
Yes the ID has been confirmed and the family was informed that the aircraft had been found early last week.
The aircraft was confirmed via a data tag on the fuselage, the number was then cross referenced to the Curtiss Records giving the aircraft its factory ID, and thus its USAAF serial, and finally its RAF serial.
Buz
Hi ,
If anyone is interested in an audio about James "Stocky" Edwards describing the campaign in N. Africa and "incident " with F/S D. Copping - here it is ;
Audio
Cheers
samo
This is quite the interesting post now a'days...
is perfect for flying restoration
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