David Rainnie Chalmers Rank: Sergeant Status: Killed in Action 1943-05-23

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Chalmers, David Rainnie (Sergeant)

Killed in Action 1943-May-23

Birth Date: 1905 (age 38)

Samuel Chalmers & Rose E. Chalmers (nee Claydon)

Barbara V. Chalmers, of Osoyoos, British Columbia.

Home: Rosewood, Manitoba

Service
RCAF

Unit
3 PRC- Personnel Reception Centre (RAF)

Rank

Sergeant

Marshal
Air Chief Marshal	A/C/M
Air Marshal	A/M
Air Vice Marshal	A/V/M
Air Commodore	A/C
Group Captain	G/C
Wing Commander	W/C
Squadron Leader	S/L
Flight Lieutenant	F/L
Flying Officer	F/O
Pilot Officer	P/O
Warrant Officer 1st Class	WO1
Warrant Officer 2nd Class	WO2
Flight Sergeant	FS
Sergeant	SGT
Corporal	CPL
Senior Aircraftman	SAC
Leading Aircraftman	LAC
Aircraftman 1st Class	AC1
Aircraftman 2nd Class	AC2

Position

Service Numbers
R/71447

3 Personnel Reception Centre for Dominion aircrew and 11 Australian Personnel Dispatch and Receiving Centre at RAF Bournemouth, England.

Twenty-one airmen were killed in the Metropole Hotel, Lansdowne Square, during an enemy bombing attack against the town of Bournemouth, England, where hundreds of Canadian airmen were staying. Central Hotel, also bombed, was similarly full of Australians.

FS WG Abbott (RCAF), FS G Assaf (RCAF), FS JL Soos (RCAF), LAC EOM Gilbert (RCAF), Sgt DR Chalmers (RCAF), Sgt RR Courtney (RCAF), Sgt AC Matheson (RCAF), Sgt FJ Metier (RCAF), Sgt RF Pelrine (RCAF), Sgt RC Woods (RCAF), Cpl WG Wood (RCAF), FS CB Crabbe (RAAF), FS RF Fenton (RAAF), FS AJ Kerrigan (RAAF), FS JF McMahon (RAAF), FS VL Pope (RAAF), Sgt NM Gray (RAAF), LAC R Crawshaw (RAF), LAC J Howlett (RAF), AC2 AJP Lohoar (RAF), and AC1 JJ Morrissey (RAF) were all killed. Although the actual number may never be known, at least 131 people, military and civilian, were killed and many more injured in this raid, seen as retaliation for the Ruhr Valley Dambuster Raids the previous week.

Canada Source Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Canada Primary Source Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)

Home

Rosewood, Manitoba

Burial
Google Map

Bournemouth North Cemetery, UK
Row D 4 Grave 99

others staying at MetropoleHotel

Flight Sergeant Abbott, William Geoffrey (RCAF)
Air Gunner
Killed in Action
Age: 21
Bournemouth North Cemetery, Bournemouth, Hampshire, UK - Row C4 Grave 94

Flight Sergeant Assaf, George (RCAF)
Wireless Air Gunner
Killed in Action
Age: 26
Bournemouth North Cemetery, Bournemouth, Hampshire, UK - Row A 4 Grave 99

Sergeant Chalmers, David Rainnie (RCAF)

Killed in Action
Age: 38
Bournemouth North Cemetery, Bournemouth, Hampshire, UK - Row D 4 Grave 99

Male Head

Sergeant Courtney, Robert Richard (RCAF)
Air Gunner
Killed in Action
Age: 39
Bournemouth North Cemetery, Bournemouth, Hampshire, UK - Row F4 Grave 99

Leading Aircraftman Gilbert, Earle Oscar Milton (RCAF)

Killed in Action
Age: 26
Bournemouth North Cemetery, Bournemouth, Hampshire, UK - Row J 4 Grave 99

Sergeant Matheson, Alexander Colin (RCAF)
Air Gunner
Killed in Action
Age: 19
Bournemouth North Cemetery, Bournemouth, Hampshire, UK - Row B 4 Grave 99

Sergeant Pelrine, Raymond Francis (RCAF)
Air Gunner
Killed in Action
Age: 20
Bournemouth North Cemetery, Bournemouth, Hampshire, UK - Row H4 Grave 99

Flight Sergeant Soos, Julian Louis (RCAF)
Wireless Air Gunner
Killed in Action
Age: unknown
Bournemouth North Cemetery, Bournemouth, Hampshire, UK - Row A 4 Grave 95

Corporal Wood, William Godfrey (RCAF)

Killed in Action
Age: 23
Bournemouth North Cemetery, Bournemouth, Hampshire, UK - Row B 4 Grave 95

Male Head

Sergeant Woods, Ross Clifton (RCAF)
clerk
Killed in Action
Age: 25
Bournemouth North Cemetery, Bournemouth, Hampshire, UK - Row E 4 Grave 99

CASPIR Aircraft Groups:

Canadian Aircraft Losses (1)

last update: 2021-08-23 13:26:39

Hotel MetropoleHotel

Bombing of the Metropole Hotel

Metropole Hotel 1943

3 Personnel Reception Centre (3 PRC) was the Metropole Hotel in Bournemouth UK. 3 PRC was were airmen arriving in Britain would await placement in active Squadrons, or be assigned to additional training. On May 23, 1943 a German bombing cause the loss of life of 131 people in Bournemouth including 10 RCAF staying at the hotel.

General Dorset History

General Images of the Metropole Hotel

Griffin Library, 17 Wing Winnipeg

Lancaster FM213