Chapple Stanley E Lt

Assigned Aircraft

P-51D CG- 44-72080

Mission History

16 missions

Mission List

55th FG Mission #	Date	Target
311	29 January 1945	Kassel Henschel (flew as Red 2)
314	06 February 1945	Chemnitz (flew as Red 2)
317	14 February 1945	Merseberg (flew as Program Red 2)
319	17 February 1945	Framkfurt (flew as Program 2)
324	23 February 1945	Ansbach (flews as spare/relay)
329	27 February 1945	Leipzig (flew as Red 4)
344	19 March 1945	Lutzkendorf
350	24 March 1945	Steenwijk A/F

Air Scores

0-0-0

Ground Scores

0-0

Notes

Born in Brooklyn, New York, 12 June 1923.
19 March 1945 - Bailed out after suffering mechanical failure, in marsh on Walcheren Island, Holland. Landed in the water above a minefield and was rescued by a local man from nearby Zoutelande, with a small boat. Was brought to a local hotel and spent the evening with a local family. Finally returned via Air Sea Rescue and reported back to Wormingford on the 23rd March 1945.
Map of crash location on Walcheren Island. (From the André Cijvat collection, Zoutelande)
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24 March 1945 - MACR No. 13438

1/Lt. Ralph E. Morrow reported: "I was flying Blue 3 position in Hellcat squadron on 24 March 1945, 5 miles out of Soest, Germany, at approximately 1550 hours, when I saw 3 Me-109s approaching Yellow flight from 6 o'clock. Lt. Chapple, Yellow 2, was hit from nose to tail and his ship caught fire. I watched until his chute opened completely and observed that he would eventually land near a small village and then I turned to the business at hand."

Stanley Chapple later said that he had been slightly injured and captured immediately. He was imprisoned first at Stalag Luft III and then moved to Stalag Luft VII A at Moosburg when the Russians were advancing on Stalag Luft III.
Reproduced with kind permission of Mr. Robert M. Littlefield from the author's book Double Nickel - Double Trouble.

31 March 1945 - Promoted from 2nd Lieutenant to 1st Lieutenant.

Lt. Chapple was liberated on 29th April 1945 and returned to the States on 30th May 1945.

Memories

Letter from Lt. Chapple's mother to the Dutch family who offered shelter to Lt. Chapple on Walcheren Island. (From the André Cijvat collection, Zoutelande)

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Additional Photo

Lt. Stanley E. Chapple (taken on 9th November 1944) (From the André Cijvat collection, Zoutelande)

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