Simon Glancey has submitted the following:
Sgt. Jopling was killed when Handley Page Hampden I L4081 of 50 Squadron was lost on a mission to Kristiansand. The Hampden was shot down by a combination of flak and enemy fighters at 12.15, and crashed with the loss of all four crew. It was one of four Hampdens from 50 Squadron lost on this operation.
Crew as follows:
P/O M. Thomas
Sgt. S.V. Vart
Sgt J. R. Jopling
Cpl. A.S.G. Barrass
Royal Air Force Bomber Command Losses of the Second World War: 1939-1940; W.R. Chorley; 1992; Midland Counties Publications; ISBN 0 904597 85 7, page 38
An account of the operation appears in Christopher Shores' book 'Fledgling Eagles', 1992, ISBN 978-0948817427, pages 256-257:
First off of the attacking force were seven Hampdens of 44 Squadron and five of 50 Squadron, which departed from Waddington from 0815 onwards, while 12 more Hampdens of 61 and 144 Squadrons set off from Hemswell. The latter formation, unable to find any targets, turned back; the former, led by Squadron Leader D. C. F. Good of 50 Squadron, having also found no vessels at sea in the bad weather prevailing, headed instead to attack two naval vessels in Kristiansand harbour.
As they made their bombing run the weather cleared and the Bf. 109Es of II/JG77 struck. At 1215 the fourth section of bombers was seen to be in heavy flak bursts, and two bombers were observed to fall in flames. These were L4083 (Flying Officer M. W. Donaldson) and L4073 (Sergeant G. M. Wild) of 50 Squadron. At that moment the fighters were seen making a beam attack, and within seconds the third bomber of the section, L4081 (Pilot Officer M. Thomas), and two more from the 44 Squadron part of the formation - L4099 (Flying Officer W. G. Taylor) and P1173 (Flying Officer H. W. Robson) - were all shot down in flames.
