Archie Warren Chatterley
MilitaryArchie Chatterley, born in 1920 in San Francisco, was living in San Diego, California when he joined the Royal Air Force before the entry of the USA in the conflict. He flew in the RAF and was later assigned to the 4th Fighter Group, 334th Squadron on 20-Jan-43. He flew a P-47 Thunderbolt named " California or Bust". His tour was not without incidents. His normal combat routine was first interrupted by a mid-air collision on 27-Apr-43. He was flying a P-47 in a mock dogfight over Castle Camps with Lt. James Wilkinson. Archie overshot, slicing off Wilkinson's tail. Wilkinson bailed out, but was unconscious, with back injuries when he hit the ground - the injuries kept him in hospital for months. Archie, however, was able to perform a dead-stick landing in his plane Near Newmarket.
Almost a year later, on 6-Mar-44 Col. Blakeslee led the Group, flying Mustangs, on a Target Support Mission to Berlin. During this sortie, Archie downed one enemy aircraft and chased off another targeting a B-17. As part of a section of four aircraft in line abreast formation heading for home, Archie had to respond to a call of nature. He was in the midst of using the pilot's relief tube just in time to see tracers pass on each side of him. The section broke and Lt. Godfrey destroyed the intruder. Back at Debden, four machine-gun holes were found in Archie's stabiliser, two in the propellor, a cannon hole in the port aileron and machine-gun holes ripping the underside of the port wing!
Archie's next misfortune occurred on 27-Mar-44 on a bomber escort mission to Bordeaux. He had downed an Me-109 and reported 2 sea planes anchored in Lake Biscarosse, just North of Biscarosse in the Landes Department, France. The formation downed on the sea planes. These turned out to be Flak posts, which opened up on the Americans from all around the lake. Archie's Mustang was hit by flak and he reported oil pressure down and signaled he would have to bail out. He was seen to bail out at about 6,000ft.
He landed between Montoncour and Loudun, more than 300km North of Biscarosse and was soon captured. He was sent to Dulag Luft in Oberursel for interrogation and was later interned at Stalag Luft 1 in Barth, Germany. In spite of his misfortunes, Archie had 5.5 enemy aircraft destroyed [4.5 destroyed [Air], 1 destroyed [Ground]. He remained in the Air Force after the war and served in Korea and Vietnam, ending his military career with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 334th Fighter Squadron 82nd Fighter Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-885574
- Highest Rank: Captain
- Role/Job: Pilot
Aircraft
Missions
- Date: 27 March 1944
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Site type: Prisoner of war camp
- Known as: Dulag Luft Grosstychow Dulag 12
- Site type: Prisoner of war camp
- Known as: Stalag Luft I, Barth, Germany
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Born |
15 October 1920 | San Francisco, California | |
Based |
20 October 1941 - 20 January 1943 | Assigned to RAF. | |
Based Joined 4th Fighter Group |
Debden | 20 January 1943 - 27 March 1944 | Assigned to 334FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF. |
Other Crashed |
Castle Camps, Cambridge CB21 4SY, UK | 27 April 1943 | Mid-air Collision Near Castle Camps with P-47C 41-6416, dead stick landing near Newmarket. 27 April 43. |
Other Promotion |
Debden, Loughton IG10 3SW, UK | 24 June 1943 | Promoted to 1st Lieutenant. |
Other E/A Destroyed |
29 January 1944 | E/A destroyed 29-Jan-44. ETO. | |
Other E/A Destroyed |
6 March 1944 | E/A destroyed 3-Jun-44. ETO. | |
Other E/A Destroyed |
16 March 1944 | E/A destroyed 16-Mar-44. ETO. | |
Other E/A Destroyed |
18 March 1944 | E/A destroyed 18-Mar-44. ETO. | |
Other Shared Destroyed |
21 March 1944 | E/A Shared destroyed 21-Mar-44. ETO. | |
Other Promotion |
Debden, Loughton IG10 3SW, UK | 25 March 1944 | Promoted to Captain. |
Other Prisoner of War (POW) |
Barth, Germany | 27 March 1944 | Bailed out of his P-51 #43-6860 and landed near Moncontour, France. Captured and made a Prisoner of War (POW). Interned at Stalag Luft I, Barth, Germany. NARA WWII POW records : “Returned to Military Control ’11 March 1946’”… |
Died |
Honolulu, HI, USA | 13 July 1998 | |
Buried |
Hawaii State Veterans Cemetery, Kaneohe, Honolulu County, HI | 16 July 1998 | Hawaii State Veterans Cemetery, Kaneohe, Honolulu County, Hawaii |
San Diego, California |
Revisions
NARA WWII POW Records
WWII Draft Card
MACR 3439
NARA Captured German Records : Page 3 of KUJ-910 à https://catalog.archives.gov/id/131496286
VETERANS BIRLS Death File
http://littlefriends.co.uk/search.php?searchString=Chatterley&Submit=Se…
http://www.4thfightergroupassociation.org/uploads/8/2/0/3/8203817/334_c…
https://www.fold3.com/record/77270177-archie-w-chatterley
https://www.fold3.com/image/28645808
4th Fighter Group: Debden Eagles By Chris Bucholtz
Tumult in the Clouds By James Goodson
http://www.merkki.com/PageC.htm
http://www.cieldegloire.com/014_chatterley_a_w.php
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/63563722/archie-w.-chatterley
http://littlefriends.co.uk/search.php?searchString=Chatterley&Submit=Se…
http://www.4thfightergroupassociation.org/uploads/8/2/0/3/8203817/334_c…
https://www.fold3.com/record/77270177-archie-w-chatterley
https://www.fold3.com/image/28645808
4th Fighter Group: Debden Eagles By Chris Bucholtz
Tumult in the Clouds By James Goodson
http://www.merkki.com/PageC.htm
http://www.cieldegloire.com/014_chatterley_a_w.php
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/63563722/archie-w.-chatterley
Personal research & 'Eighty-One Aces of the 4th Fighter Group; by Frank Speer.
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 3439 / MACR 3439, Losses of the 8th and 9th AFs by Bishop and Hey vol 1 p. 108, vol 2 pg 347 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database / Ted Damick, VIII Fighter Command pilots list