AFC officers who died

[Guest stevebec]

Can Pals help with info on how these men died.

John Ernest Chapman Lt 3 Sqn AFC KIA 8-8-18

John Bell Capt shown in either 2 or 3 Sqn AFC shown DOW 27-12-17

David Goodlet Clark Lt 2 Sqn AFC KIA 22-11-17

Cyril Lester Gordon Downe Lt MSM 1 Sqn AFC shown died 3-3-19

Ckaude Roy Ebeling Lt 2 Sqn AFC DOW 23-8-18

Arthur Wallace Kemmis Farquhar Lt 1 Sqn AFC KIA 26-6-18

Do you know if who shot them down or caused their deaths?

S.B

[Terry Denham]

As a start....

Chapman - KiA in R.E.8 (C2309) with Lt E.J.Bice Western Front

Bell - DoW received 20.11.17 in DH.5 (A9473) Western Front

Clark - KiA in DH.5 (A9477) Western Front

Ebeling - Killed in crash of S.E.5a (D6913) Western Front

Farquhar - KiA in Bristol F.2B (C4623) with Lt A.W.Murphy (unhurt) Palestine

Ebeling was killed when his aircraft stalled on a climbing turn after take-off at Reclinghem. Some sources spell his name as EBERLING.

[Guest Pete Wood]

Two from the top...

Chapman is thought to have been brought down by Oblt Ritt R von Greim of JGr 9, flying a Fokker VII, near Mericourt.

Bell wasn't with 3 Sqn AFC. They were flying RE8s. And 2 Sqn AFC were flying SE5a's (I think!). He was, in fact, with 68 (Australian) Sqn. Their job this day was to bomb targets around Flesquieres - Bell was lost shortly after dawn, at around the start of the infantry advance of the battle of Cambrai - while bombing troop positions; it is claimed he was brought down by rifle fire from the ground. Six of 68 Squadron's planes were damaged and/or shot down this day, while assisting the ground assault.

[MartinWills]

Cutlack has:

Lt. Chapman was Brice's observer when they were on a contact patrol near Mricourt around noon and were attacked by nine Fokker biplanes. Chapman was a former light horse man , a blacksmith and wheelwright of Bowenvale, Victoria born Bairnsdale, Victoria 3 Feb 1895.

Bell is given as being with 3 Sqn bombing El Arish in Sept 1916, a grazier of Rokewood Vic. Born Melbourne 7 Oct. 1885

He is later identified as being with 2 Sqn (and previously with I Sqn) flying on Nov. 20th with six machines under his command shortly after dawn supporting tank activity in foggy weather which required low level flying even for bombing and then strafing the enemy positions. Flying in pairs Bell was with McKenzie when he was hit in the chest by rifle fire, subsequently dying in hospital on 27 December. The aircraft was damaged in a forced landing and although another pilot divested of his own machine near the front tried to get ti going he was unsuccessful. 68 Sqn is Aus. no 2 Sqn.

Clark, of 2 sqn,, (Grazier of Killara, Sydney born Picton NSW) was shot down and mortally wounded by ground-fire over Bourlon on 22 Nov.Wood

Ebeling died of injuries was an engineer and draughtsman of Yarraville Melbourne, born Spotswood, Melbourne 10 March 1893.

Farquhar and Murphy engaged an Albatros 2 seater over Ramleh at 18,000 feet and at 5,000 feet 6the Albatros (with obsever out of action feigned a landing attempt on the Australian aerodrome when Murphy noticed Farquhar to be slumped in his cockpit. Murphy's own gun jammed and the Albatros escaped. Upon landing Farquhar was found to be dead from bullet wounds.

Martin

[Guest Pete Wood]

68 Sqn is Aus. no 2 Sqn.

But not on the date that Bell was shot down....??

I thought that 68 Squadron was redesignated 2 Squadron AFC on 19th January 1918 (Squadrons of the RAF - James J Halley).

[Guest stevebec]

Thanks Pals your great.

Can you also supply any info on these airman;

Stanley Arthur Loran Lt 3 Sqn KIA 15-6-18

I was also after any Bio on these Airman by the name of De Crespighy Maj RFC/RAF MC DFC.

Also William James Guilfoyle Group Capt 28 Sqn RAF OBE MC

Thanks again I always await your replys with pleasure.

S.B

[Andrew P]

Steve

I checked the unit history of the 3rd Squadron AFC and it only gives the same information about Chapman that Martin mentions was in Cutlack.

I believe Chapman's pilot, Lt Bice, originally came from the 14th Battalion AIF.

I'll have a look to see what the unit history has to say about Lt Loran.

Cheers

Andrew

[MartinWills]

Racing Teapots is quite right aboout No2/No68 Squadron.

Australian No. 1 Squadron was redesignated as 67 Squadron on 12/9/16 when Aus. No 1 Squadron was renamed (at Heliopolis). It reverted to No. 1 Squadron AFC on January 18th 1918 and was disbanded on 5th March 1919.

68 Squadron was formed on January 30th 1917. Rebranded as No. 2 Squadron AFC on January 18th 1918, it was disbanded on 28 February 1919

69 Squadron was formed on 28th December 1916. It was rebranded as No. 3 Squadron AFC on January 18th 1918.

I would surmise that the Aussies continued to refer to these units as AFC Sqdns 1, 2 & 3 during their period as 67, 68, 69 Squadrons.

Martin

[Dolphin]

2Lt Stanley Arthur Loram of Alphington, Devon, who joined the AIF on 23 December 1914, was killed while flying as an observer with his pilot 2Lt Sydney Jones in RE8 A3817 of No 3 Sqn AFC on 15 June 1918. Both airmen are buried at Vignacourt in France.

[christine liava'a]

Arthur Wallace Kemmis Farquhar Lt 1 Sqn AFC KIA 26-6-18

He's mine

Lieutenant Arthur Wallace Kemmis Farquhar 6th Light Horse

s/of Mr Walter Andros & Florence Emily Farquhar

Sydney, NSW- manager CSR, Fiji

enlisted

SERN Lt

served in

Egypt KIA 26 June 1918 Ramleh War Memorial, Israel

He also had 2 other brothers in the war

Sergeant Alexander Barclay Farquhar

C squad. 6th Light Horse

born 09 December 1892 Ingham QLD

nok Walter Andross Farquhar- father, manager CSR

CSR

enlisted 12 March 1916? Marrickville NSW

SERN 1162

Also in WW2; Q218069 nok Vida Farquhar

and possibly

Clive R Farquhar

Born 5 Oct 1896 Sydney educated King's School

Joined CSR July 1916

enisted as gunner in AIF May1918

[Guest stevebec]

Thanks Chris,

I have most of that info but also can not confirm if Clive is related either.

I was after in relation to this man who was the aircraft he was engaged with.

The Pals also mention a german aircraft but no pilot who may have claimed him as a possible kill.

S.B

[Guest stevebec]

Thank Dolphin

Yes I have that info.

Do you know who may have brought them down and where?

Thanks for your interest

S.B

[Andrew P]

Steve

Adding to the info that Dolphin mentions on Loram, the unit history of the 3rd AFC Squadron says

'The officers (Lt Jones & Lt Loram), had just left the squadron aerodrome to carry out an artillery reconnaissance when they appeared to get into difficulties and their aircraft nosedived into the village of Flesselles, where the plane caught fire and was totally destroyed'

Regards

Andrew

[Guest stevebec]

Thanks Mate.

S.B

[Dolphin]

As Andrew indicates, 2Lt Loram met his death by accident, hence the 'killed while flying' note, rather than 'killed in action'.

The RE8 was known for its instability, especially the earlier production version with a small vertical stabiliser. The pilot's notes included the encouraging introduction:

"This is a splendid flying machine but it is not a perambulator and requires at first a little care.

In the RE8 the chief thing to remember is that the machine gives very little indication of losing its speed until it suddenly shows an uncontrollable tendency to dive which cannot be corrected in time if you are near the ground."

Apart from that . . .