John Warren Leach, pilot, WIA June 12, 1918; James Chapman, gunlayer/observer

[Marian2]

American pilot John Warren Leach, flying with No. 206 Squadron RAF, was apparently on a bombing raid on Courtrai on June 12, 1918, when a bullet struck his shoulder and incapacitated him.  His observer, James Chapman, brought the plane back to the aerodrome at Alquines. (Note:  the serial number of the plane is apparently not known: neither Sturtivant nor Henshaw list it.)  
    I’m hoping for clarification or at least feedback on three issues.
    1. A friend of Leach’s wrote three days after the incident “When [Leach] was hit, his observer took control of the machine, flew it back to our side of the lines, brought it down 14,000 feet, and landed without crashing.  Even though this was more or less with [Leach’s] help, it was a very nervy feat.”  Chapman was awarded a D.F.M., and the citation reads in part “The pilot . . . lost consciousness.  The machine fell out of control, but Pte. Chapman took control from his seat and flew the machine back to our aerodrome, and landed without breaking a wire.”   I understand from p. 388 of J. M. Bruce’s article “The De Havilland D.H.9” in Flight (April 6, 1956) that “As on the D.H.4, the observer’s cockpit [in the D.H.9] contained a dual set of flight controls, but engine controls were not duplicated.” 
    Could the observer, given that he had access only to flight controls, really have set the plane down entirely by himself (the scenario that Leach was unconscious the whole time)?  Wouldn’t someone have had to throttle the engine back or cut it entirely (i.e., Leach assisting)?  Given that the observer’s seat was very close behind the pilot’s seat in a DH.9, could Chapman perhaps have reached forward and used the pilot’s engines controls?   (Note: I absolutely do not mean to detract from what Chapman did, just to try to sort out what happened.)
    2.  The same friend wrote of Leach’s wound: “The bullet hit in the back of the right shoulder, shattered and perforated the bones in the vicinity and left his body entirely.  The doctors commented on the fact that it was lucky the X-ray showed no signs of the bullet or fragments.”  When Leach later wrote of the incident he stated “The bullet was an explosive one, and when it went in my right arm and shoulder joint it smashed everything up pretty badly.”  The “explosive bullet” part later appears in War Birds: “Leach has been shot through the shoulder and isn't expected to pull through. Explosive bullet.”
    How likely is it that the bullet was really an explosive one?  I guess this divides into several questions.   Couldn’t a “normal” bullet do a lot of damage if it entered at the right angle?  Wouldn’t an explosive bullet have left fragments?  And would German pilots have been using explosive bullets in a dogfight over Courtrai?  I’ve read of restrictions on Allied use of same; wouldn’t Germans similarly have avoided using explosive bullets on Allied aircraft, if only for fear of retaliation in kind at a later date?  I’ve also seen references to tracer bullets being mistaken for explosive bullets—did Germans use tracer bullets (which would perhaps also have left fragments)?  
    3.  Does anyone have any information about James Chapman after the war?  I’ve been able to document with reasonable certainty that he was born June 26, 1894 at Chirton, Northumberland, England.  The D.F.M. doesn’t appear to have been posthumous, so I assume he survived the war.  But I can’t find any reliable later documentation.  Seems a shame for a D.F.M. (and Bar) to disappear from the radar.  

[Kimberley John Lindsay]

Dear Marian2,

In 1964, at the age of 19 or so I learnt to fly in Sydney (good flying weather!), in the docile Piper PA-22 Colt. 

For a start, the DH9 was a huge aircraft by comparison - a bomber. However, with the aid of dual flight controls which Chapman may have been familiar with (and with his mind concentrated to a fine degree following the sudden and severe wounding of his Officer pilot!), I see no great problem for Chapman having brought the aircraft down. Navigating the DH9 to the whereabouts of a suitable airfield would seem to me the greater feat. The matter of throttling back for the approach and landing is a valid point, but one must presume that J. W. Leach was able to make some contribution! 

As I understand it, the DH9 Pilot's and Observer's seats were decidedly apart from one another: in contrast to the Bristol Fighter, where they were very close (fascilitating good cooperation between the crew, as testified by the Brisfit's success). 

For a lowly Pte/Obs to be awarded a DFM was outstanding (where did a Bar come into the equation?), but obviously justified. 

Kindest regards,

Kim.

[topgun1918]

Notification of Chapman's a Bar to his DFM appeared in the Peace Gazette:

 

Air Ministry,

3rd June, 1919.

 

His Majesty The KING has been graciously pleased to approve of the undermentioned rewards to Officers and Other Ranks of the Royal Air Force, in recognition of distinguished services rendered during the war:—

 

AWARDED A BAR TO THE DISTINGUISHED

FLYING MEDAL.

 

223740 Sjt. Mec. James Chapman, D.F.M.

(Newcastle-on-Tyne).                     (FRANCE)

 

Graeme

 

[Jon_B]

Chapman was also awarded the Croix de Guerre (Belgian), notified in the Supplement to the London Gazette 15 July 1919.

 

Jon

[Kimberley John Lindsay]

Dear All,

Thanks for that.

The DFM and Bar group with CdG (Belg) to Sgt Chapman would be indeed desirable.

For a supposedly lowly 'Sjt.-Mec.' to have been thrice-decorated was really outstanding.

The attached group belonged to an Observer Officer (31 Sqn., Be2s: NW Frontier), 2Lt David Thomson - with 'F-OFFR.' on his IGS...

Kindest regards,

Kim.

Edited 8 March , 2019 by Kimberley John Lindsay

[topgun1918]

Slightly off-topic, but another group worth having would be the DSM & Bar, DFM and Medaille Militaire received by Sergeant Percy John Adkins.

 

Even more slightly off-topic - the only other WW1 recipient of the DFM and Bar that I have listed is Sergeant-Observer Arthur Newland, DFM Gazetted 21 September 1918 and the Bar 3 December 1918.  

 

Graeme

 

Edited 8 March , 2019 by topgun1918

[Kimberley John Lindsay]

Dear Graeme,

Yes, indeed: a DSM (Bar), DFM, plus a Foreigner, is probably unique...!

Kindest regards,

Kim.

Edited 8 March , 2019 by Kimberley John Lindsay

[ajsmith]

18 hours ago, Marian2 said:

he was born June 26, 1894 at Chirton

I think that's a seven on his service record and 1897 tallies with the census returns possibly

Edited 8 March , 2019 by ajsmith

[ajsmith]

There's a James Chapman born 26th June 1898 working as a bus driver in Tynemouth on the 1939 register. It could well be him maybe he adjusted his DOB a little when he joined the Navy in 1915. 

[Marian2]

Thank you all for the various responses.  ajsmith:  you are almost certainly right about the date being 1897---thank you.  And the 1939 register entry certainly looks like him.  Given his pre-war trade (miner), I would guess he didn't go to the kind of school that would publish a roster of alumni war records, so the 1939 register may be all there is available.  The name is not sufficiently distinctive for me to be able to attach it to any death records.   

 

A couple of people have agreed with my suspicion that the landing was a joint effort, with Leach assisting.  I'd still be interested in any feedback on the possibility that Chapman could have reached Leach's engine controls.  

 

Also:  any thoughts about the explosive bullet?  

 

Thanks!

---Marian 

[Kimberley John Lindsay]

Dear Marian,

I circumnavigated the 'explosive bullet' question because my knowledge is non-existant - whereas I have actually landed an aircraft...

Kindest regards,

Kim.

[Jon_B]

Marian,

 

There is a very good first-hand account of life in 206 Sqn in 1918 by John Blandford ('Sans Escort - Reminiscences of 206 Squadron RAF') in Cross and Cockade Vol 7 and Vol 8 (available online). There are several references to Chapman, as well as an image of him in a group photo.

 

Sgt Chapman was one of 206 Sqn's original NCO Observers, from when it was 6 (N) Sqn RNAS, and was an experienced observer/gunlayer by the time he flew with Leach. 

 

The DFM was established in June 1918, and was awarded to non-commissioned personnel (officers could be awarded the DFC). There were 104 awarded during WW1, and Chapman was one of only two to receive a Bar during that period.

Sorry, I can't comment on the explosive bullet either, but the observer in the DH9 was sitting close enough to the pilot to tap him on the shoulder and draw his attention, as Blandford notes in his account.

 

Jon