Charles Meredith Bouverie Chapman, MC (9 January 1892 – 1 October 1917) was a British

flying ace A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ace is varied, but is usually co ...

of the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, credited with seven aerial victories.

Early life

Chapman was born in

Bridge, Kent Bridge is a village and civil parish near Canterbury in Kent, South East England. Bridge village is in the Nailbourne valley in a rural setting on the old Roman road, Watling Street, formerly the main road between London and Dover. The village ...

, the son of a brewer.

First World War

Chapman served as a

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

in the

East Kent Regiment The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment), formerly the 3rd Regiment of Foot, was a line infantry regiment of the British Army traditionally raised in the English county of Kent and garrisoned at Canterbury. It had a history dating back to 1572 and ...

from January 1913 but was transferred to the

Royal Flying Corps "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colors = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , decorations ...

on 1 July 1915. He qualified as a pilot on 31 July 1915, receiving military flying training at Shorham before being posted to No. 22 Squadron RFC. On 1 April 1916, Chapman was sent with his squadron to France, based eventually at

Bertangles Bertangles () is a Communes of France, commune in the Somme (department), Somme Departments of France, department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Geography Bertangles is situated on the D97 road, just off the N25, north of Amiens. A farmi ...

. However, Chapman was transferred to 'B' Flight No. 24 Squadron, also based at Bertangles, using

Airco DH.2 The Airco DH.2 was a single-seat pusher biplane fighter aircraft which operated during the First World War. It was the second pusher design by aeronautical engineer Geoffrey de Havilland for Airco, based on his earlier DH.1 two-seater. The d ...

aircraft. Chapman was successful in destroying three enemy aircraft in a short period, commencing on 22 June 1916, for which he was awarded the

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level pre-1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth countries. The MC i ...

. On detachment in the United Kingdom, Chapman served in a number of training units and on 1 November 1916 was promoted to the rank of

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

, becoming a flight commander. In this capacity, he returned to France in May 1917 to join No. 29 Squadron at Le Hameau, flying Nieuport Scouts. Chapman was credited with all the rest of his victories flying this type of aircraft, like Georg Simon pilot in

Manfred von Richthofen Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen (; 2 May 1892 – 21 April 1918), known in English as Baron von Richthofen or the Red Baron, was a fighter pilot with the German Air Force during World War I. He is considered the ace-of-aces of ...

Jagdstaffel 11 Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 11 ("No 11 Fighter Squadron"; commonly abbreviated to Jasta 11) was founded on 28 September 1916 from elements of 4 Armee's “Kampfeinsitzer” or KEKs) 1, 2 and 3 and mobilized on 11 October as part of the Germ ...

. Chapman died of shrapnel injuries received on 1 October 1917 after a German bombing raid on No. 29 Squadron's aerodrome at Poperinghe.

References

*Shores, C., Franks, N., Guest, R. ''Above the Trenches''. Grub Street, 1990. *Franks, Norman. ''Nieuport Aces of World War 1.'' Osprey Publishing, 2000. , . {{DEFAULTSORT:Chapman, Charles 1892 births 1917 deaths British Army personnel of World War I British military personnel killed in World War I Royal Flying Corps officers Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment) officers People from Bridge, Kent Recipients of the Military Cross Recipients of the Croix de guerre (Belgium) Deaths by airstrike during World War I Military personnel from Kent