Personnel Index - Detail
William Hugh Stobart Chance was educated at Eton College and commissioned in to the Worcestershire Regiment in 1915.
In April 1916 he was attached to the Royal Flying Corps and trained as a pilot.
After his initial pilot training at Reading he was posted to No. 5 Reserve Squadron at Castle Bromwich. However, three weeks later he was ordered to No. 47 Squadron at Beverley.
Early in August 1916 he was posted again, this time to to No. 49 Squadron at Dover.
Later the same month he was ordered to France to join No. 27 Squadron which was stationed at Fienvillers.
He then spent the next month flying Martinsyde G100 "Elephant" aircraft on bombing raids.
On the 17th September 1916 whilst on a bombing raid over Valenciennes, his plane was hit and he had to make a crash landing in occupied France.
He was captured and taken prisoner and spent the rest of the war in Prisoner of War camps at Osnabruck and Clausthal.
Information and image courtesy of the Worcestershire Regiment website (opens in a new window)