Chapman, Edward Frederick (Oral history)

British officer served with Marine Craft Section, RAF in English Channel, 1940-1941; commanded HSL 143, Air-Sea Rescue Services, RAF in English Channel, 1941; prisoner of war in Dulag Luft Interrogation Centre, Oberursel, Oflag IX-A/H, Spangenberg, Stalag Luft III, Sagan and Stalag III-A, Luckenwalde, Germany, 2/1941-5/1945

REEL 1 Background in GB, 1906-1939: family; cadet training at HMS Worcester, 1921-1923; memories of First World War; employment, 1939. Recollections of operations as officer with Marine Craft Section and Air-Sea Rescue Services, RAF in English Channel, 1940-1941: background to joining Marine Craft Section, 1939; postings to Grimsby and Dover, 1940; wounding during blowing up in HSL 142 on acoustic mine, 2/1941; his part in propaganda film; expectation that Germans would respect air-sea rescue craft; story of how his command HSL 143 was attacked by German Air Force fighter aircraft off Boulogne, France, 5/1941; initial treatment on capture at Boulogne, France, 5/1941; degree to which German Air Force attacked Royal Air Force air-sea rescue launches; condition of rescued pilots suffering from cold. Recollections of period as prisoner of war in in Dulag Luft Interrogation Centre, Oberursel, Oflag IX-A/H, Spangenberg, Stalag Luft III, Sagan and Stalag III-A, Luckenwalde, Germany, 2/1941-5/1945: train journey to Dulag Luft Interrogation Centre, Oberursel. REEL 2 Continues: nature of interrogation at Dulag Luft Interrogation Centre, Oberursel; memories of John Casson; move to Oflag IX-A/H, Spangenberg; opinion of Wing Commander Douglas Bader; incident when Wing Commander Douglas Bader dropped tin can on helmet of German guard who opened fire; second hand story of Wing Commander Douglas Bader's escape attempt in France that led to Gestapo retribution; incident when Wing Commander Douglas Bader snowballed German guard who then opened fire; further memories of Wing Commander Douglas Bader; memories of Rupert Davies and Peter Butterworth at Oflag IX-A/H, Spangenberg; attempts to keep up prisoner of war morale with talks; aid he gave to Wooden Horse escape at Stalag Luft III, Sagan; effect of camp conditions on health; his reaction as prisoner of war towards officers in Home Guard; move away from Stalag Luft III, Sagan as Soviet forces advanced, 1/1945; refusal of Soviet prisoners of war to report dead at Stalag III-A, Luckenwalde in order to draw rations. REEL 3 Continues: incident of female Soviet Air Force pilot shot by Russians who had fought for Germans; reaction to French prisoners of war attempt to kill pony; case of German girl who had been raped by Soviet Army troops; obtaining lift away from Luckenwalde with American deserter; sights of devastation in Magdeburg, 5/1945; crossing River Elbe, 5/1945; reception by Royal Air Force personnel, 5/1945; behaviour of Soviet Army troops towards German women and girls; interrogation of female Polish forced labourers at Luckenwalde, 5/1945; story of German brutality towards Polish civilians and Jewish prisoners.