Alfred J. Coppel - Unit identity

[kaki3152]

The well known author Alfred J. Coppel was a P-38 fighter pilot in a 9th AF unit. He wrote a novel loosely based on this experience called "Order of Battle"

Anyone know which unit this was? Nothing on the Internet except for a Feb 45 accident record with a C-45 in California,presumably after serving overseas.

[KM1957]

I have no record of any Coppel serving as a fighter pilot, P-38 or otherwise, in the 9th Air Force. Perhaps he was in Italy? Hopefully someone can answer with definite information.

Kent

[kaki3152]

Well, there is the possibility that he did not serve overseas but there is evidence that he at least was a serving USAAF pilot in February 1945 when he had a landing accident with a C-45.
According to Wikipedia, he was trained as a USAAF Fighter pilot. "Born in Oakland, California, he served as a fighter pilot in the United States Air Force during World War Two."

[Bruce Lander]

Hi,

Coppel's book "Order Of Battle" is one of the best novels on Air War and could only have been written by someone with first hand experience. If he served with the 9th Air Force in a P.38 Group it would have been one of the following:-

367th F.G.
370th F.G.
474th F.G.

Has anyone got pilot rosters for these Groups?

Incidentally the novel "Goodbye To Some" by Gordon Forbes has got to be the best WW2 Aviation novel ever written ( its about a U.S.Navy Liberator unit in 1945 in the Pacific

Bruce Lander

[KM1957]

I do have complete rosters of those three, and all 9th Air Force fighter units. Coppel does not show up in any of the groups assigned to the 9th. I have the microfilm records for them along with numerous hard copies of records from each.

Kent

[kaki3152]

There are some minor errors in Order of Battle.,i.e., he mentions flying P-38Gs which probably should have been P-38Hs.
Yes, I quite agree about "Goodbye to Some". I collect Air war Novels and have found some good air war novels over the years. Here are some good ones. You can usually find them on ABE Books, all are old paperbacks and you can (usually) get them cheaply
"Maybe I'm Dead" by Joe Klaas (Grandfather of Polly Klaas) - 31st FG Spitfire pilot POW in Tunisia.
"Face of a Hero" - Louis Falstein - A B24 gunner in the 15th AF. Good narratives and action scenes.
"The Gunner"- William Stevens - A B24 gunner in Italy. Lots of good review in 1965. Well written.
"A Tent on Corsica"-Martin Quigley- A B-26 squadron in Corsica.
"Bomber Crew" Joseph Landon- B24 crewmen 15th AF
"View From he Air"- Hugh Fosburg- Pacific B-24 action 7th AF
Skip Bomber-Lloyd Olson- B-17s in Pacific 1943

[Jim Oxley]

Coppel was quite a prolific writer, 18 books in total. Four of them about WWII.

[kaki3152]

NAMECOPPEL#ALFRED#J######### COPPEL#ALFRED#J######### RESIDENCE: STATE91 CALIFORNIA RESIDENCE: COUNTY085 SANTA CLARA PLACE OF ENLISTMENT9151 MOFFET FLD CALIFORNIA DATE OF ENLISTMENT DAY18 18 DATE OF ENLISTMENT MONTH03 03 DATE OF ENLISTMENT YEAR42 42 GRADE: ALPHA DESIGNATIONPVT# Private GRADE: CODE8 Private BRANCH: ALPHA DESIGNATIONAC# Air Corps BRANCH: CODE20 Air Corps FIELD USE AS DESIRED# # TERM OF ENLISTMENT5 Enlistment for the duration of the War or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President or otherwise according to law LONGEVITY### ### SOURCE OF ARMY PERSONNEL0 Civil Life NATIVITY91 CALIFORNIA YEAR OF BIRTH21 21 RACE AND CITIZENSHIP1 White, citizen EDUCATION7 3 years of college CIVILIAN OCCUPATION002 Actors and actresses MARITAL STATUS6 Single, without dependents COMPONENT OF THE ARMY6 Army of the United States - includes the following: Voluntary enlistments effective December 8, 1941 and thereafter; One year enlistments of National Guardsman whose State enlistment expires while in the Federal Service; Officers appointed in the Army of the United States under Army Regulations 605-10 CARD NUMBER# # BOX NUMBER0302 0302 FILM REEL NUMBER3.24# 3.24# Information from the NARA Achives.

NAME - COPPEL#ALFRED
STATE - CALIFORNIA
COUNTY - SANTA CLARA
PLace of Enlistment - MOFFET FLD CALIFORNIA
DATE - 3-18-1942
RANK - Private
Branch - Air Corps
AGE - 21
Race and Citizenship - White, citizen
Education - 3 years of college
Civilian Occupation - Actors and actresses
Marital Status - Single, without dependents

So he joined the USAAF at the right time to serve in the 9th AF. Does anyone know how to obtain a list of the Aviation Classes.i.e. , 42-SE-?

He was still flying in February 1945 when he suffered an accident in California.

[Revi16]

Originally Posted by kaki3152

So he joined the USAAF at the right time to serve in the 9th AF. Does anyone know how to obtain a list of the Aviation Classes.i.e. , 42-SE-?

He was still flying in February 1945 when he suffered an accident in California.

He could have just as easily been assigned to a State side unit or as an Instructor and never left the States.

[kaki3152]

I'm begining to believe that is the case... Oh well