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331:, thus becoming an officer. His royal blue plane with its insignia of a thistle sprig wearing a top hat became so well known that the Germans went to special pains to try to kill him. On 3 August he shot down a balloon booby-trapped with explosives that when detonated from the ground narrowly missed killing him. The flaming wreckage of the balloon "fell swift as doom on the watching staff officers, killing many and injuring the rest".
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301:. He continued his nervy but unsuccessful combat career against enemy aircraft until 17 March 1918. On that day he carried out his first attack on German observation balloons, as an aid to a ground assault by the Belgian Army. Though handicapped by lack of incendiary ammunition he punctured two balloons, causing the observers to bail out and the balloons to collapse to the ground.
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Willy
Coppens deemed honors and awards to be very important, as he felt they ought to be a token of recognition. In his opinion, they should not be granted automatically and he felt it was unjust that lower ranking frontline servicemen received lower ranks in national orders than commanding generals
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In 1914, following the German invasion of
Belgium, Coppens transferred to The Motor Machine Gun Corps. On 6 September 1915, he signed up for flight training in the Compagnie des Aviateurs. Ultimately, due to insufficiencies in Belgian training, he took eight weeks of leave to train to fly. He and 39
385:
to four nations. In
September 1928, despite his disability, he set a parachute jump record by leaping from 19,700 feet (6,000 meters); this record stood for four years. He retired to Switzerland in 1940, organising resistance work and marrying. In the late 1960s he returned to Belgium and lived his
307:
A week later, using his usual tactics of close range fire, Coppens cut a balloon loose from its ties. It bounced up beneath him and momentarily carried his
Hanriot skyward. After his aircraft fell off the balloon, he restarted its engine and flew back to base. The balloon sagged into an explosion.
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Later when on another attack run, he got shot at from a balloon. He parked his plane on top of the damaged balloon, shut down his engine in order to protect its propeller, and waited until the balloon descended to slide off the balloon and fly away.
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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, Portugal, Italy, Poland, and Serbia. His memoir,
429:
as a civilian pilot who deserted the 'Compagnie des aviateurs' on the 23 of August 1914, after only 20 days of service received the Grand
Officer's cross of the same order, a higher rank than the Commander's cross offered to him.
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and three airplanes, nearly as many victories as
Belgium's other five aces combined. Unlike most fighter pilots of World War I, who used .303 caliber or 7.92 mm guns, Coppens used a larger bore 11 mm
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other
Belgians learned to fly on their own expense in Britain. He received his pilot's certificate on 9 December 1915. After this training in Britain he had further training at the Farman School in
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Willy
Coppens got the (in Belgium) very exceptional honor to add 'd'Houthulst' after his noble title (meaning: of Houthulst), referring to a wood he often overflew during the First World War.
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Finally, on 25 April
Coppens scored his first victory by downing a Rumpler two seater. On 8 May he finally found his metier, when he shot two balloons down in flames.
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were offered to the squadron, he was the only pilot to initially accept one. His enthusiasm for the aircraft type prompted other pilots to also move over to Hanriots.
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when he was severely wounded by an incendiary bullet, smashing the tibia of his left leg and severing the artery. Coppens crash landed near
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From then on, Coppens' record was spectacular. Between April and October 1918 he was credited with destroying 34 German
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255:(Sergeant First Class) on 8 April 1917 flying BE-2c two seaters. Later that month, he was assigned to
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O'Connor, M. "Airfields & Airmen of the Channel Coast". Pen & Sword Military, 2005. p. 93
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Willy Omer François Jean Coppens de Houthulst, The Aerodrome - Aces and Aircraft of World War I
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This feeling was made tangible in 1959 and 1968 when he refused the Commander's cross in the
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210:" of World War I. He was credited with 37 confirmed victories and six probables.
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Commemorative medal of the 100 anniversary of the national independence
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His arms consist of 3 silver flying eagles on a blue background.
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On his last mission, 14 October, Coppens downed a balloon over
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https://www.vieillestiges.be/files/memorials/MABCoppens-NL.pdf
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https://www.vieillestiges.be/files/memorials/MABCoppens-NL.pdf
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In mid July, he transferred to the single seater fighter unit
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two seater and promptly flew it into his first aerial combat.
230:. He was conscripted into the army in 1912, to serve with the
202:(6 July 1892 – 21 December 1986) was Belgium's leading
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Norman Franks, Russell Guest, & Gregory Alegi (1997).
199:
878:
Balloon-Busting Aces of World War 1 (Aircraft of the Aces)
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Officer of the order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus (Italy)
398:
Willy Coppens was created Knight Coppens d'Houthulst by
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and was taken to hospital, where his leg was amputated.
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Commander of the order of Isabella the catholic (Spain)
270:(1st Pursuit Squadron). He received the last remaining
226:, a Belgian impressionistic painter who studied in the
374:, were published in 1931 and reissued in the 1970s as
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In 1960, he was created Baron Coppens d'Houthulst by
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Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1914–1918 (France)
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Commander of the order of the Leopold II with swords
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Officers of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus
324:, having upgraded his weaponry prior to June 1918.
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418:His motto was 'Je surmonterai' (I will overcome).
807:. New York, NY: Barnes & Noble, Inc. p.
1013:Recipients of the Silver Medal of Military Valor
998:Recipients of the Order of Isabella the Catholic
701:Officer of the order of the White Eagle (Poland)
691:Commander of the order of the black star (Benin)
259:to fly a Farman pusher. On 1 May, he received a
736:War Cross with golden cross and palm (Portugal)
647:War cross WWI with 27 palms and 13 bronze lions
632:Commander of the order of the crown with swords
381:Between the two World Wars Coppens was Belgian
274:in the squadron; everyone else had upgraded to
1023:Recipients of the War Cross for Military Valor
963:Commanders of the Order of the Crown (Belgium)
993:Companions of the Distinguished Service Order
8:
716:Distinguished Service Order (United Kingdom)
349:Coppens achieved all his victories flying a
978:Recipients of the Croix de guerre (Belgium)
422:that did not participate in active combat.
390:'s only daughter until his death in 1986.
28:
17:
386:last five years with fellow Belgian ace
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726:Silver medal for military valor (Italy)
968:Commanders of the Order of Leopold II
764:List of World War I aces from Belgium
297:On 19 August Coppens was promoted to
7:
876:Jon Gutman and Harry Dempsey (2005)
914:, a full list of Coppens' victories
731:War cross WWI with 2 palms (France)
988:Commanders of the Legion of Honour
365:Coppens (centre), pictured in 1919
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711:Virtuti Military, Knight (Poland)
1018:Recipients of the Cruz de Guerra
973:Recipients of the Military Cross
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40:Willy Omer François Jean Coppens
1008:Knights of the Virtuti Militari
958:Belgian World War I flying aces
948:People from Watermael-Boitsfort
721:Military Cross (United Kingdom)
642:Officer of the order of Leopold
289:Willy Coppens is decorated by
144:, Escadrilles (Squadrons) 4, 6
1:
799:Longstreet, Stephen (1970).
672:Military cross, second class
327:In June, he was promoted to
232:Premiere Regiment Grenadiers
882:Pieters, Walter M. (1998).
338:and was attacking one over
173:Distinguished Service Order
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886:. Grub Street (London).
867:First World War Who's Who
268:1ère Escadrille de Chasse
189:Willy Omer François Jean
142:9ème Escadrille de Chasse
138:1ère Escadrille de Chasse
27:
667:WW I commemorative medal
247:, France and joined the
169:Order of the White Eagle
953:Aviation in World War I
741:War Merit Cross (Italy)
394:Title, arms and honours
161:Belgian Croix de Guerre
111:Compagnie des Aviateurs
884:Above Flanders' Fields
863:. Grub Street, London.
746:War Cross WWI (Poland)
366:
294:
228:Royal Academy of Ghent
181:French Croix de Guerre
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288:
117:Years of service
861:Above the War Fronts
317:observation balloons
257:Quatrieme Escadrille
218:Coppens was born in
322:Vickers machine gun
261:Sopwith 1½ Strutter
249:Sixieme Escradrille
220:Watermael-Boitsfort
193:Coppens d'Houthulst
153:Order of Leopold II
58:Watermael-Boitsfort
912:"theaerodrome.com"
803:The Canvas Falcons
376:Flying in Flanders
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206:and the champion "
157:Order of the Crown
662:WWI Victory medal
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253:sergent 1st class
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943:Belgian nobility
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427:Order of Leopold
372:Days on the Wing
165:Legion d'Honneur
136:2nd Grenadiers,
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75:21 December 1986
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906:External links
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846:on 05 Jan 2023
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276:Nieuport 17s
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224:Omer Coppens
217:
188:
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110:
109:Grenadiers,
77:(1986-12-21)
15:
933:1986 deaths
928:1892 births
753:1 wound bar
400:King Albert
383:air attaché
272:Nieuport 16
238:World War I
204:fighter ace
55:6 July 1892
922:Categories
854:References
818:1566196698
657:Fire cross
652:Yser cross
214:Early life
175:, British
171:, British
167:, Serbian
96:Allegiance
51:1892-07-06
37:Birth name
770:Footnotes
402:in 1930.
353:fighter.
344:Diksmuide
222:, son of
163:, French
120:1912–1940
758:See also
336:Praatbos
299:Adjutant
104:Service/
82:De Panne
62:Brussels
340:Torhout
278:. When
245:Étampes
99:Belgium
90:Belgium
66:Belgium
890:
815:
786:
149:Awards
106:branch
251:as a
191:baron
128:Major
888:ISBN
813:ISBN
784:ISBN
133:Unit
125:Rank
72:Died
45:Born
809:175
197:DSO
924::
811:.
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200:MC
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49:(
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