Combined Operations Pilotage Parties

Don't know if this information is old hat or not,but have just found a good website on COPP.
It can be found on www.coppheroes.org.

Graham

Not old hat for me, never heard of them before. Thanks Graham. In fact your link led me to find some other related units listed below:

List of some who served in COPP
http://www.coppheroes.org/coppists/index.htm

The COPP site mentions this site http://www.specialforcesroh.com/browse.php?mode=viewc&catid=14
which lists a number of lesser known units including

Small Operations Group
Sea Reconnaissance Unit
Royal Marine Detachment 385

See http://chinaburmaindiawwii.devhub.com/blog/534849-small-operations-group-sog

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 10/09/2012 23:13:30

Behind Japanese Lines

Price: £6.50
The untold story of Royal Marine Detachment 385 by Captain Derek Oakley MBE RM. Royal Marines Historical Society Publication number 18

http://www.royalmarinesmuseum.co.uk/acatalog/Books___Stationery.html

A previous thread debates a book which writes about some of these units

http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoForum/posts/list/759.page#3136

You can preview the book on amazon
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cockleshell-Canoes-British-Military-ebook/dp/B0087QOVBI/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1347309294&sr=1-2

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 25/09/2012 01:01:12

Think I'm right in saying that, within SEAC (South East Asia Command), COPP, Sea Reconnaissance Unit and RM Detachment 385 were all subsidiary units of the Small Operations Group (along with some SBS units). Main camp was Hammenhiel Fort in north west Ceylon/Sri Lanka. This location was apparently originally found by Geoffrey Hall, a COPPist who was in the first COPP party out in the Far East; set up initially as a COPP base and run on fairly informal grounds, it seems according to his autobiography they got a bit miffed when 'senior ranks' started arriving and running things in a more 'army-like' fashion!

(Hall later rose to Rear Admiral and became the Hydrographer of the Navy.)

Edited to add: seeing as you've found the COPP Heroes website, might as well link to my Grandfather's profile! http://www.coppheroes.org/individuals/crane-j.htm

Incidentally, while I'm here, does anyone know where I may be able to find out details about Naval Parties? COPP were predominantly a Royal Navy unit, and when travelling on troop transports they did so in the guise of a Naval Party (apparently to help avoid arousing suspicion). My Grandfather's unit is widely listed in secondary sources as Naval Party 750 but I have a hunch it was actually Naval Party 755 and would like to try and pin this down a bit.

Hi Rob, your grandfather must have been a capable guy, being promoted from the ranks.

How did you find out he was with COPP ? Did you apply for his services records ?

Fascinating stuff about SOG.

Hi Mark

My Grandfather kept in contact with some of his COPP colleagues after the way, and so it was always fairly well known in the family that he was in the unit. It's only in recent years that I've really started delving into it in more detail, though, and have now got his service record, too, plus a few other little things that he left.

Rob