LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Arthur Edward CHAPMAN
Service No: 414764
Born: Brisbane QLD, 31 January 1918
Enlisted in the RAAF: 9 November 1941
Unit: No. 100 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Grimsby, Lincolnshire
Died: Air Operations: (No. 100 Squadron Lancaster aircraft ED821), Netherlands, 28 May 1943, Aged 25 Years
Buried: Wonseradeel (Witmarsum) Protestant Churchyard, Friesland, Netherlands
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Wilfred Knight Chapman and Alma Chapman, of Ashgrove, Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 120, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Lancaster ED821 took off from Grimsby at 2232 hours on the night of 27/28 May 1943, detailed to bomb Essen, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. Twenty one aircraft from the Squadron took part in the raid, and all except ED821 returned safely, although three were damaged by anti-aircraft fire. German documents recorded that the aircraft had been shot down at 0143 hours 4 kms north north west of Balsward in the neighbourhood of Witmarsum, Holland. Five crew members were killed and two became Prisoners of War.
The crew members of ED821 were:
Flying Officer Stanley Adolfson Bishop (J/13118) (RCAF) (Navigator)
Pilot Officer J Bolderson (129941) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner) PoW
Flight Sergeant Arthur Edward Chapman (414764) (Rear Gunner)
Sergeant Peter Michael Cosgrove (1585898) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Sergeant James Parker Fitchett (1150600) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Sergeant Eric Short (1319336) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Flight Sergeant Leonard Arthur Townrow (415041) (RNZAF) (Pilot) PoW, Died of injuries: 24 April 1944
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A 705, 166/7/114