COPP Combined Operations Pilotage Parties
In 1943 COPP was a new highly secret amd mainly Royal Navy organisation designed to reconnoitre enemy beaches selected for amphibious assault. Alec Colson joined COPP 8 in June 1943 as a Captain
COPP Depot Hayling Island
COPP 8 used the sailing club at Hayling Island as their base for training in preparation for their posting to India and Burma
RELATED DOCUMENTS
1. WREN drivers
2. Training at Hayling Island
3. WREN drivers 2
4. June 1943 visit to Ships in Clyde
5. COPP Swimmers
Hayling Island Sailing Club
From an oil painting by Richard Colson
The three and a half months training at Hayling Island was very demanding physically and mentally. It included unarmed combat, daily swimming, physical training and lots of canoeing.
RELATED DOCUMENTS
1. Hayling Island Sailing Club
2. Lieutenant Freddie Ponsonby RN
3. WREN drivers 3
4. Beach Landing Craft
5. Landing Craft 2
COPP 8 Hayling Island 1943
Commanded by Lieut Freddie Ponsonby RN, a Navigator
RELATED DOCUMENTS
1. On Hostile Shores
2. Log Book Examples
3. COPP goes public
4. Canoe Fittings
5. Pocket Submarines
COPP 8 to India September 1943
COPP 8 travel to Coconada, India
RELATED DOCUMENTS
1. Intinerary
2. Dakotas
3. Douglas Skytrain
4. COPP 8 at Cocanada, India
5. Surface Swimmer
COPP 8 Itinerary to Cocanada, India
September-October 1943 The COPP 8 team travelled to Cocanada, India via Gibraltar, Cairo, Bahrein and Karachi
RELATED DOCUMENTS
1. COPP 8 at Inverlair
2. Cocanada - Donbaik Mayu Peninsula Aboard ML 437
3. Alec's identity card
4. COPP Base "Inverlair" Cocanada 1943-44
5. "Inverlair" Cocanada
6. Training at Cocanada
7. Schedule
8. Cocanada Canal
9. COPP 7 and COPP 8
10. LCP off Cocanada
OPERATION BUNKUM Dec 1943 - March 1944 and on leave at Ootacamund
RELATED DOCUMENTS
1. Cocanada - Dunbaik, Mayu Peninsula, Burma
2. LCP 346
3 ML 346 and 347
4. ML 437
5. OPERATION BUNKUM MAP 1
6. OPERATION BUNKUM MAP 2
7. On Leave Ootacamund Nigiri Hills, India
8. On Leave Ootacamund Nigiri Hills, India 2
9. On Leave Ootacamund Nigiri Hills, India 3
10. Jungle Warfare Training Mysore, India
11. Jungle Warfare Training Elahera, Ceylon
11. Jungle Warfare Training Elahera, Ceylon 2
9. On Leave Ootacamund Nigiri Hills, India 3
10. On Leave Ootacamund Nigiri Hills, India 4
APRIL 1944 HAMMENHEIL, CEYLON
RELATED DOCUMENTS
1. Trincomalee, Ceylon
2. Hammenheil Camp, Ceylon
3. Hammenheil Camp, Ceylon 2
4. Hammenheil Camp, Ceylon 3
5.
Elizabeth Island Operation David
RELATED DOCUMENTS
1. On the way to Elizabeth Island
2. Survival Kit Burma
3 Mention in Despatches 1
4. Mention ins Despatches 2
5.
All material on this site is copyright Richard Colson