Photographing Denzil Cooper: Glider Pilot Regiment

Portrait of World War 2 Veteran Denzil Cooper (Glider Pilot Regiment) whom I photographed at his home a few days ago...

Staff Sergeant Denzil Cooper piloted a HORSA Glider on D-Day during Operation Mallard,the 2nd of 2 Airborne Assaults with the first being Operation Tonga. After Normandy he then went on to fly during Operation Market Garden where he was later injured; he still carries a lump of shrapnel in his right leg.

“Being scared didn’t come into it really, we were too damned busy trying to fly the glider, which was hard work. We knew exactly what we had got to do and we just went and did it.”

So looking forward to catching up with Denzil in the next week or so when I return with his print and sit down to film an interview.