Geoffrey Cooper (RAF officer)
Geoffrey Cooper | |
|---|---|
| Born | Geoffrey Strickland Cooper October 25, 1925 |
| Died | December 13, 2014 (aged 89) |
| Occupation(s) | Royal Air Force officer, journalist |
| Years active | 1940s–1978 (RAF), post-1978 (journalism) |
| Known for | RAF fighter pilot and Air Commodore |
| Notable work | Air correspondent for the Daily Telegraph |
Geoffrey Strickland Cooper OBE (25 October 1925 – 13 December 2014) served as a Royal Air Force officer and fighter pilot during the period following the Second World War, gaining combat experience in regions such as the Middle East and Malaya.
In the early months of 1948, Cooper was assigned to 208 Squadron at Ramat David, Palestine, when Egyptian Air Force Spitfires attacked the base, destroying two British Spitfires on the ground. In the ensuing aerial battle, Cooper successfully downed one enemy Spitfire, inflicted damage on another (which was later eliminated by a fellow pilot), while a third aircraft was destroyed from the ground.
In January 1949, while on patrol, Cooper encountered Israeli Air Force Spitfires and was compelled to eject over Egyptian-controlled territory. He was subsequently found by Bedouin tribesmen and safely returned to his unit.
Cooper took part in anti-communist operations in Malaya during 1956. By 1971, he held command of RAF Patrington, a radar installation located in East Riding of Yorkshire.
After retiring with the rank of Air Commodore in 1978, Cooper pursued a career in journalism as the air correspondent for the Daily Telegraph.
External links
- Israel v the RAF - caught in the middle - air combat between Israel and the RAF – The Spyflight Website
- Air Commodore G S Cooper (57632) – Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation
- Air Commodore Geoffrey Cooper – BTN The Business Travel News (23 February 2015)