Spitfire hero Tony Cooper dies just days short of being able to celebrate his 101st birthday

A FORMER Spitfire fighter pilot has died aged 100 - just days before his 101st birthday.

Tony Cooper, of Lowestoft, passed away peacefully on January 26 at Ritson Lodge Care Home in Hopton-on-Sea - the residential care home where he had been living for the past year, the Royal Air Force revealed earlier this week.

Born in February 18, 1916, Mr Cooper was 21 when he was accepted for pilot training in the RAF Volunteer Reserve at Luton.

After his training, he was posted to Canada in 1940, where he met his wife of 56 years Pearl Cooper.

In total, he flew 3,200 hours and completed 160 operational sorties.

He survived five forced landings, two of them at night, two on fire and one as a result of being hit by enemy ground fire.

In June 1943, he returned to Britain and became a flight commander on 64 Squadron and frequently led the operations.

Notably he flew on D-Day as part of an aircraft formation providing fighter cover for Utah beach and Omaha beach.

He continued to fly operationally until November 1944, completing numerous ground attack missions over enemy occupied Europe, including supporting the famous and heroic, but ultimately unsuccessful, Airborne operation at Arnhem.

His last sortie in the RAF was on the June 18, 1945.

In 2015, Mr Cooper was awarded the Légion d’honneur medal from France for his services during the Second World War.

Last year, Tony celebrated his 100th birthday with a gathering of over 100 guests, including some of his RAF BBMF friends at a special reception in a hotel near his home before ill health took its toll on him.

He is survived by his wife Ms Day and his children Alison Bond and Peter Cooper, along with five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

His funeral will be held on February 24 at 1.30pm at St Marks Church at Lowestoft.

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