ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 217661
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| Date: | Sunday 15 September 1940 |
| Time: | 14:30 |
| Type: |  Hawker Hurricane Mk 1 |
| Owner/operator: | 605 (County of Warwick) Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | L2012 |
| MSN: | UP-V |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Church Farm, Marden, Kent, England -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Croydon, Surrey |
Hawker Hurricane L2012: Lost on combat operations at 14:30 hrs on 15/09/1940.
Squadron scrambled to intercept large bomber formation. Aircraft piloted by Pilot Officer Thomas Paul Michael "Mike" Cooper-Slipper (41555) who had a miraculous escape after his controls were shot away and his aircraft hit a Dornier Do 17 of 5 Staffel/KG.53 amidships. His aircraft, minus its port wing, spiralled down, but he was able to bale out and was slightly injured landing at Church Farm, Marden. His Hurricane, L2012, crashed at The Leas, Yalding.
The Do 17 was abandoned by the crew and crashed on fire and exploded in Widehurst Woods Marden in Kent. The crew of the Dornier were Oberfeldwebel H.Howind bailed out and was captured at Widehurst also Oberfeldwebel H.Hobel and Feldwebel E.Zimmermann both bailed out and were captured unhurt landing at Cannon Farm in Marden.
According to his obituary in the "Daily Telegraph" on 19 March 2004:
"Squadron Leader Mike Cooper-Slipper, who has died aged 83, was a 19-year-old fighter pilot whose most spectacular "kill" during the Battle of Britain occurred when his ammunition ran out.
On September 15 1940, he was flying a Hurricane during an engagement with a wave of German bombers and fighters.
As he broke away, he saw three more Dornier 17 bombers in a loose formation, and immediately turned towards them. He attacked one, but quickly ran out of ammunition. His aircraft was hit repeatedly by return fire from the bomber's gunner. With his own cannon useless, Cooper-Slipper decided that the only course of action left to him was to ram the enemy aircraft.
He hit the bomber's port wing just behind the engine, sending it crashing into a field near Maidstone after three of the crew had baled out. The Hurricane lost a wing in the collision and Cooper-Slipper, too, was forced to take to his parachute, landing in a ploughed field.
He returned triumphantly to Croydon that evening, slightly injured but unshaken, and sporting two German life jackets and a rubber dinghy given to him by the Maidstone police. It was his sixth success in air combat"
For this combat action, Mike Cooper-Slipper was awarded to DFC (Distinguished Flying Cross):
"The London Gazette, Air Ministry, 26 November 1940
The KING has been graciously pleased to approve the following appointment and awards in recognition of gallantry displayed in flying operations against the enemy:
Distinguished Flying Cross
F/O Thomas Paul Michael COOPERS-SLIPPER (41555) DFC — No. 605 Squadron.
Flying Officer Cooper-Slipper has displayed great skill and daring in air combat. On one occasion he deliberately rammed and destroyed a hostile aircraft after his own controls had been practically shot away. He has destroyed seven enemy aircraft and damaged three others."
NOTE: The Hurricane involved in this incident was L2012, and not, as per some published sources, P2012. (P2012 was an unused serial in a batch of 200 Airspeed Oxfords serialled P1800 to P2059).
Sources:
1. 605 Squadron ORB: http://www.605squadron.co.uk/We%20Never%20Slept%20-%20The%20Story%20of%20605%20Squadron.pdf
2. Pilot Obituary (he died in February 2004 aged 83): https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1457194/Squadron-Leader-Mike-Cooper-Slipper.html
3. http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/as-cooper-slipper.htm
4. https://acesofww2.com/UK/aces/cooper-slipper/
5. https://www.battleofbritain1940.net/0042.html
6. https://relicsfromthefront.co.uk/products/dorner-marden
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 22 May 1940 | N2349 | 605 (County of Warwick) Sqn RAF | 0 | Vermelles, Pas-de-Calais department, Hauts-de-France region |  |
w/o |
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 12-Nov-2018 19:00 | rodinbangor | Added |
| 12-Nov-2018 21:07 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
| 23-May-2019 21:29 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Other fatalities, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 23-May-2019 21:37 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 23-May-2019 21:38 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
| 29-Feb-2020 14:10 | rodinbangor | Updated [Cn] |
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