Air Commodore Ivelaw-Chapman
National Archives catalogue reference - WO 208/3328
Name: Air Commodore Ivelaw-Chapman, C.B.E., D.F.C., A.F.C.
Unit: 13 Base, Bomber Command, R.A.F.
Captured: Brain, 8th June 1944.
Liberated: Buchenbuhl, 16th April 1945.
Left: Kitzingen, 17th April 1945.
Arrived: U.K., 18th April 1945.
Date of Birth: 17th January 1899.
R.A.F. Service: Since 22nd September 1917.
Post in crew: Special Observer.
Peacetime Profession: R.A.F. Officer.
Private Address: Harlyn, Cobham, Surrey.
Other members of the crew:
F/Lt. SHEARER, (pilot), (killed in crash),
W.O. BILTOFT, (navigator), (killed in crash),
F/Sgt. FOX, (wireless operator), (killed in crash),
F/Sgt. FORD, R.A.A.F. (bomb-aimer), (I.S.9(WEA) 8/519/2320),
Sgt. DREW, (flight engineer), (believed P.W),
F/Sgt. McLEOD, (mid-upper gunner), (believed killed),
F/Sgt. JACKSON, (rear gunner), (believed killed).
We took off from ELSHAM WOLDS in a Lancaster aircraft at 2355 hours on 6 May 44 on a bombing mission to AUBIGNY. The aircraft was attacked by a fighter near MAMERS (FRANCE, 1:250,000, Sheet 15, V.59) after we had bombed the target. The aircraft was set on fire and the pilot gave orders to abandon aircraft.
I baled out and landed in a wood near ST. REMY DU PLAIN (V 49) at 0310 hours on 7 May. I dislocated my left shoulder on baling out. After landing I buried my parachute, harness and mae west and began walking South-east. At dawn I hid in a wood where I remained until the evening. I then resumed walking South-east. On the morning of 8 May I hid in a thicket and remained there until the evening of 9 May. During this period I lived on the emergency rations contained in my escape outfit.
On the evening of 9 May I met a French peasant (name unknown) and told him that I was an R.A.F. officer. He showed immediate signs of friendship and said that he would return later with food. Some time later this Frenchman's employer (name and address unknown) came to my hiding place with a quantity of sugar and later that evening escorted me to a farm near MOULIN, 1 km. West of ST. REMY DU PLAIN. I was provided with civilian clothes and remained there in a loft until the evening of 12 May when I was taken to another house in the district where I met F/Sgt. FORD of my crew.
From then until 8 Jun our movements were arranged for us.
On 8 Jun the Gestapo raided the farm where F/Sgt. FORD and I were staying at BRAIN-SUR-ALLOMNES (Sheet 20, P25). I was captured. F/Sgt. FORD was in another farm building at the time and was not captured with me. During the raid our host, the Frenchman who owned the farm, was wounded and captured. He was taken with me in a car and admitted into a civilian hospital in SAUMUR (P 15). I believe that the Gestapo forced this man to disclose information.
On the same day I was taken from SAUMUR to the Gestapo H.Q. at CHAMBRAY (Sheet 15, P 7861). My hands were manacled behind my back from the time of my capture. I was interrogated as a suspected Secret Service Agent but for some time I refused to give more than my number, rank, and name. I was slapped in the face, beaten on the shoulders and buttocks with a rubber whip, and other 'third degree' methods were also used. This interrogation lasted continuously from 1800 hours on 8 Jun until approximately 0600 hours on 9 Jun. My body bears faint scars of this beating.
About 0300 hours on 9 Jun my condition was such that I told my interrogators where and when I had hidden my parachute. The beating then ceased and apart from being manacled I was reasonably treated. I told my interrogators a partially false story of how, after baling out, I had walked in a certain direction and had been helped by various Frenchmen whose names and addresses I did not know. I was then asked where I had obtained the false identity card which had been found on my person and I stated that it had been brought to me by an unknown Frenchman. This statement was also untrue since it had been brought to me by a Frenchwoman. My interrogators appeared satisfied that they had succeeded in forcing me to talk by beating me. They also appeared to believe that I was in some way connected with the R.A.F.
After the interrogation was finished I was taken from CHAMBRAY to a Gestapo H.Q. in TOURS (P 76), where I was locked in an unventilated dungeon. My hands were still manacled behind my back. This caused me extreme pain as my shoulder had by then been dislocated for 32 days. During the next few hours I succeeded in getting my hands to the front of my body.
At 1100 hours I was taken from the dungeon to an office, where I was confronted with another Gestapo interrogator who appeared to specialise in dealing with evading airmen. This man was obviously of higher rank than my interrogators of the previous night. He began to interrogate me afresh and I repeated my partly untrue story. I maintained this story until mid-day when the interrogation ceased and I was given a meal, but my hands were still manacled.
After I had eaten the meal I was taken to a garage where I saw the French woman who had given me the false identity card and who had escorted F/Sgt. FORD and me from RENE (V 4392) to BRAIN (Sheet 20, P 2959) some 16 days earlier, in a car under guard. She was manacled. I was put into another car and the two cars proceeded in convoy to ANGERS (Sheet 14, O 87).
On arrival at the S.S. Headquarters in ANGERS the two cars were parked side by side so that the Frenchwoman and I could see one another. The guard was instructed to ensure that we did not hold any conversation. A few minutes later I was taken into the H.Q. and again interrogated by the Gestapo official who had interrogated me that morning at TOURS. He informed me that he was prepared to tear up the notes of the story which I had given him that morning if I would tell the truth. It was obvious to me that he connected the Frenchwoman with me. He began to interrogate me afresh and I admitted that this Frenchwoman had supplied me with the false identity card. I made this admission because during the early part of this interrogation a German arrived in the room and told my interrogator that my late French host who had been wounded by the Gestapo the previous day at BRAIN, had given the whole story. I was certain that this must be true since F/Sgt. FORD, whom I knew was hot in Gestapo hands, was mentioned. I realised that it would be useless to continue any further fabrication. I then told the true story of my "evasion" to date but suppressed the names and descriptions of any French people who had helped me, but who were not in Gestapo custody. My manacles were then removed.
I was then taken into the S.S. Officers' Mess and provided with a meal. The Kommandant apologised for my treatment of the previous night. Later that evening a Luftwaffe officer came to the mess and took me by car to a Luftwaffe barracks in ANGERS. I remained there as a normal P/W for 24 hours.
About 2300 hours on 10 Jun a Luftwaffe officer took me by car to CHARTRES (N.W. EUROPE, 1:250,000, Sheet 7, R 30). On the journey the car broke down and while we were waiting by the roadside for another car, I heard an aircraft, probably a Halifax, circling low in the near distance. Some time later a lorry passed and the occupants fired some shots. I am of the opinion that a dropping of arms had taken place in the neighbourhood and this equipment was in the lorry. My escort made no attempt to stop the lorry. Some time later a relief car arrived and I arrived at CHARTRES at about 0800 hours on 11 Jun and was put into solitary confinement in the civil prison. Some time later I discovered that this prison was being used for interrogation purposes by a detachment from the main Luftwaffe interrogation centre at FRANKFURT.
I was interrogated at frequent intervals from 11 to 15 Jun by Oberleutnant GABRIELSON, Leutnant Karl SCHMIDT, and Leutnant HORN. I established my identity by giving details of my pre-war career, all of which could be checked from an "open" Air Force List. No pressure was brought to bear when I refused to talk of my activities after 1 Sep 39.
On the morning of 15 Jun I asked Leutnant SCHMIDT whether I could have medical attention for my dislocated shoulder. He expressed surprise that I had not previously mentioned my injuries and informed me that I would be sent to OBERUSSEL, near FRANKFURT, as soon as possible. I was then released into the main compound of the interrogation centre in CHARTRES.
On 17 Jun I was taken by car and rail to the interrogation centre at OBERUSSEL and again placed in solitary confinement.
On 19 Jun I was taken to HOHEMARK Hospital where I was reasonably treated and supplied with an airman's uniform. The civilian clothes which I had worn up to that time were then taken away. The Kommandant, Oberst-Leutnant KILLINGER, who was aware of my treatment by the Gestapo, made every effort to ensure that I was well treated from then on.
On 20 Jun I was taken to the Luftwaffe Hospital, FRANKFURT, where my shoulder was X-rayed. I then returned to HOHEMARK Hospital and during the next few days I was taken for walks by Ober-Leutnant WIEBACH. No attempt was made to interrogate me.
On the evening of 25 Jun Ober-Leutnant WIEBACH began serious interrogation. He started by giving me information which, incidentally, was correct. As this had no result he began to ask technical questions. I told him that I had established my identity and that I could not and would not answer any further Service questions. From then onwards no further attempt was made to interrogate me on Service matters.
During my stay a HOHEMARK Hospital various political officials from BERLIN and elsewhere visited me in an endeavour to obtain my political views on world affairs in general and RUSSIA in particular.
On 4 Jul an operation was performed at FRANKFURT Luftwaffe Hospital on my shoulder which had by then been dislocated for 60 days. My arm was in a splint for three months all together, another small operation being necessary on 1 Sep. The medical attention which I received throughout was first-class and I am certain that I owe the use of my arm to Oberarzt Dr. ITTERSHAGEN, late orthopaedic specialist at FRANKFURT University Hospital, who performed the two operations. He was the M.O. for the P/W Hospital detached to OBERUSSEL Interrogation Centre and his care for wounded P/W which I saw at close quarters for some nine months was of the highest order and in the best traditions of the medical profession and unprejudiced by nationality, race, or creed.
On 14 Nov I was visited by Herr BUCKMULLER of the Swiss Legation in BERLIN. I gave him a full statement regarding my abnormally long sojourn in OBERUSSEL and he informed me that this would be forwarded to LONDON.
On 14 Jan 45 I broke my left army while skiing. This necessitated my arm being in a splint again for a further six weeks but otherwise caused no inconvenience and mended normally.
On 19 Mar I was taken by bus to BUCHENBUHL (GERMANY, 1:250,000, Sheet M.50, O 40) where I arrived on 20 Mar. I remained there until the arrival of the American Forces at 1700 hours on 16 Apr when I handed over the Camp Kommandant, Oberst-Leutnant KILLINGER and approximately 200 German guards as Ps/W to the 45 Div., U.S.A. Army. Before leaving I obtained safe conduct for the German Medical orderlies to bring in German wounded and dead which had resulted from a local battle. After being liberated I travelled by jeep to a Battalion H.Q. at BEHRINGERSDORF (O 50) where I gave local tactical information to the Bn. Commander. I was then conveyed by jeep to 45 Dv. H.Q. at LAUF (O 50) where I spent the night.
On 17 Apr I travelled by keep to KITZINGEN (Sheet L.50, N 72) where I boarded a Dakota aircraft and arrived at LE BOURGET that evening. These arrangements were made by 45 Div., U.S.A. Army and U.S.A.A.F., both of whom were extremely helpful and considerate. I travelled by air from LE BOURGET to the U.K. on 18 Apr.
04851 Capt. STAFFORD, an American in the R.A.F. Ferry Command and 616062 W.O. STANLEY, Thomas, R.A.F., accompanied me from BUCHENBUHL to the U.K.
When I arrived at BUCHENBUHL on 20 Mar I saw the corpse of F/Sgt. JEFFRIES, a navigator or bomb-aimer, who body had been picked up in the woods nearby. The body was buried by the Luftwaffe, probably at SEIGELSTEIN (?). I am of the opinion that this man must have been on a raid on NUREMBURG on 17 Mar. I know that the Luftwaffe authorities at BUCHENBUHL sent full details of the man's identity through the usual channels.