Willy Coppens
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Willy Coppens (6 July 1892 - 21 December 1986) was Belgium's leading fighter ace and the champion "balloon buster" of World War I.
Coppens was born in Watermaal-Bosvoorde and joined the army in 1912 serving with Belgium's 2nd Grenadiers. In 1914, he transferred to Compagnie des Aviateurs and trained to fly on his own expense (including 39 other Belgians) in Britain. After training in Britain he had further training in France so he it took until 1916 to fly observation aircraft.
Once transferred to fighters, Coppens made a spectacular record. Between April and October 1918 he was credited with destroying 34 German observation balloons and three airplanes, nearly as many victories as Belgium's other five aces combined.
On his last mission, 14 October, Coppens was severely wounded and had a leg amputated. For his wartime service he was knighted, becoming Willy Omer Francois Jean Coppens de Houthulst, for a forest in his squadron's operating area. He was decorated by Belgium, France, Britain, and Serbia.
Between the two World Wars Coppens was Belgian air attaché to four nations. He retired to Switzerland in 1940. His memoirs, Days on the Wing, were published in 1931 and reissued in the 1970s as Flying in Flanders.
[edit] References
Norman Franks, Russell Guest, & Gregory Alegi (1997). Above the War Fronts. Grub Street, London.
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