Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Chapman Siblings: Doreen Sarah Chapman – Royal Australian Airforce – Service Number 102663; Mervyn Charles Chapman – Australian Army – Service Number QX13853 – Wooroolin WW11 Honour Board and Wooroolin West WW11 Honour Board
Charles & Dolly Chapman registered their children Doreen & Mervyn at Wooroolin West School about 1930. The 1925 electoral roll showed them living at Bellgrove, Kingaroy which was out past Gordonbrook. Interesting that not on electoral roll again until 1943 at West Wooroolin but they definitely had a farm at West Wooroolin and their grandson Terry still lives there.
Doreen Sarah Chapman was born 8 Jun 1923 at Boonah Qld, the second child of Charles & Dolly. Doreen started at Wooroolin West School in the early 1930’s – pupil number 20ww.

Doreen Sarah Chapman, aged 21, enlisted in Royal Australian Airforce in Brisbane on 23 Feb 1945. When she was discharged on 3 Apr 1946, Doreen was based at Airforce Headquarters.
The service records for Doreen Chapman are not yet available on the NAA website but I have learnt a lot about women in the Airforce during WW11
The Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF) was formed in March 1941 after considerable lobbying by women keen to serve and by the Chief of the Air Staff who wanted to release male personnel serving in Australia for service overseas. The WAAAF was the largest of the Second World War women's services. Women of the WAAAF worked in more than 70 different musterings across the entire organisation, including as truck drivers, signallers, electricians and anti-gas instructors. They also worked on machine guns, in repair shops, in mess rooms, in hospitals and in parachute sections. They worked wherever they were needed.
Doreen first husband was Eddie Moffat and they had 3 daughters. Her second husband was widower Allan Sleeth but that didn’t last long. Doreen died in Jun 1995 and is buried at Mount Gravatt Cemetery and Crematorium.

Mervyn Charles Chapman was born 18 Mar 1920 at Brisbane, Qld, the eldest child of Charles & Dolly. Mervyn started at Wooroolin West School in the early 1930’s – pupil number 21ww.
Mervyn enlisted in Australian Army in Kelvin Grove on 2 Jul 1940 and served in 0the 2/25 Australian Infantry Battalion. He was discharged on 21 May 1946.
Per the AWM website this battalion trained in Grovely and Darwin before embarking Sydney for the Middle East in Apr 1941. The 2/25 served in Egypt and were part of the invasion of Syria and Lebanon. The battalion returned to Australia in Feb 1942 where they trained until sent to Port Moresby to reinforce the battered Australian units on the Kokoda Trail. The 2/25 served in various battles in New Guinea and Borneo (details on the AWM website) prior to its final operation of the war at Balikpapan in Borneo.
Mervyns service records are available on the NAA Website. Mervyn married Joan (Jean) Murtagh during WW11 on 18 Oct 1944 and their address was 29 Oxford St, Thompson Estate, Brisbane. After the war Mervyn was a Motor Mechanic. They moved to Palm Beach about 1954 and in 1958 Mervyn was living at Kirra but not his wife! Mervyn died, aged 40, on 15 Aug 1960 and is buried at Macquarie Park Cemetery and Crematorium, North Ryde, NSW
Lest We Forget