Date of birth:

May 20th, 1915 (Brightlingsea/Essex, United Kingdom)

Date of death:

September 27th, 1944

Buried on:

Brookwood 1939-1945 Memorial (Memorial to the Missing)

Service number:

231091

Nationality:

British (1801-present, Kingdom)

Before the war Ted Coppin had been a ship handler, working for his father's company T. Coppin & Son, in Cannes where they captained luxury yachts. Around 1940, after the italian occupation of Southern France, the family moved back to England where they settled at Coggeshall, Essex. Subsequently Ted volunteered for the British Army, In November 1941 he volunteered for F Section and was subsequently commissioned, training under the field name of Theodore Crowe.
After training he was sent to France by felucca in June 1942.

The recommendation for his MBE then tells his accomplishments in France:

"This officer was landed in France by sea in June 1942 as organiser in the Marseille area. He built up an important sabotage group amongst railway workers in this region with the object of carrying out attacks on the lines Gardanne-La Braque, La Barque-Aubagne, La Barque-Ciotat and St. Raphael-Nice.

This officer organised sabotage in the autumn of 1942 by diverting goods trains destined for Germany towards the Spansh border. In addition he built up an intelligence service which provided valuable information on train movements in southern France, and which continued to do so until the summer of 1944. Even after Coppin's disappearance numerous sabotage incidents occured on these lines by groups trained and equipped by him.

Towards the end of 1942 this officer was reported missing, and is believed to have been arrested and deported to Germany. The work he had carried out continued to bear fruit during the subsequent months. It is rcommnended that he be apointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (Military Division).

Signed
C.Mc.V. Gubbins
Major General
16.6.48"

The MBE was not awarded though.
And although no conclusive proof has turned up, it is claimed that he was arrested on 23 April 1943, held at Saint-Pierre prison in Marseilles where he suffered humiliation and brutal torture but despite this, he refused to talk. The proof of this is that no-one from his group was subsequently arrested.
Supposedly from there he was sent to Ravensbruck where he died in September 1944.

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Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Lieutenant

Unit:

F Section, Special Operations Executive (SOE), British Government

Awarded on:

September 25th, 1947

Awarded posthumously

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Lieutenant

Unit:

F Section, Special Operations Executive (SOE), British Government

Awarded on:

January 16th, 1946

Citation:
"This British officer volunteeered for missions into occupied territory and was send by boat to the South-West coast in June 1942.
He succeeded in little time to form a guerilla group consiting of railway workers, a group which took part in numerous attacks on the railway tracks Gardanne La Barque - La Barque Aubagne, - La Ciotat St-Raphael - Nice al of which lines were used by the enemy for transport to Italy. He directed numerous felucca landings close to Antibes which were carrying arms and supplies.
He was continuously searched by the Gestapo and was finally arrested at the beginning of 1943 and deported to Germany."

"Officier Britannique volontaire pour des missions en territoire occupé envoyé par voie maritime sur la Cote Sud Est, en Juin 1942.
Réussit en peu de temps à former un groupe d'action composé de cheminots, groupe qui prit part à nombreux sabotages sur les voies ferrées Gardanne La Barque - La Barque Aubagne, - La Ciotat St-Raphael - Nice toutes lignes utilisées par l'ennemi pour ses transports vers l'Italie. Dirigea plusieurs débarquements de felouques chargées d'armes et de matériel près d'Antibes.
Recherché longtemps par la Gestapo, fut enfin arrêté au debut de 1943 et déporté en Allemagne."

With guilded star

• - JOHN GREHAN & MARTIN MACE, Unearthing Churchill's Secret Army, Pen & Sword Military, 2012.
  - https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/38079/supplement/4517/data.pdf
  - Paul McCue Books
  - Recommendation for Award for Coppin, Ted Cyril Rank: Lieutenant Service No: ... | The National Archives
  - The Commonwealth War Graves Commission | CWGC | CWGC
  - Recommendation for Award for Coppin, Ted Cyril Rank: Lieutenant Service No: ... | The National Archives
  

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