Albion man wrote patriotic song, ‘Keep on Flying,’ during World War II
By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian
“Illuminating Orleans” – Volume 5, Number 21
Cover of sheet music for this Chapman/Melville composition
ALBION – We continue our survey of musicians in Orleans County with an introduction to Archie Chapman who composed stirring lyrics of encouragement in 1942 for members of the US Army Air Forces serving in World War II with his composition, “Keep on Flying.”
Archibald Samuel Chapman was born in 1893 in the village of St. Faith’s, Norfolk County, in England. He served as a gunner in the Royal Field Artillery, Territorial Forces, in World War 1 and was awarded a British War Medal and a Victory Medal.
He was one of the many immigrants from Norfolk who settled in Orleans County. His sister Emma and her husband Ernest Mayes had been living in Gaines since 1912. Archie came to the US in January 1920. Eliza Ann Spark joined him in August of that year and they were married in Albion on August 31, 1920.
They operated a farm on Allen Road for twenty years. Archie later worked at the Grower’s Cold Storage in Waterport, at Hunt’s Foods Inc. and retired in 1957.
“KEEP ON FLYING”
(We’ll build the ships for you)
Dawn, a new day is breaking, war is now fought in the sky
Caissons now will go a-rolling, guarded by the ships that fly.
We have the men to build them, we have the money too,
So, keep ‘em flying soldier, we’ll roll ‘em out to you.
Chorus
Keep on flying, Keep on flying, up there in the sky
Keep on flying, keep on flying, soldiers keep ‘em high
You do the flying, we’ll do the rest
We’ll build the planes and give you the best.
War, that was forced upon us by an unworthy foe,
Band us all as one together, onward to fight we go.
Danger and death before us, peace and victory too
Just keep ‘em flying soldier, we’ll roll them out to you.
A naturalized citizen, Archie was very invested in his community. He was an Albion village trustee, a member of the Albion Masonic Lodge, the Chamber of Commerce, the Zoning Board of Appeals, the Orleans County Democratic Committee and was involved in scouting. He was a past president of the Active Hose Company of the Albion Fire Dept. and of the Orleans County Fair Assn.
He also played in the Albion Sheret Post American Legion Band. Band director, W.J. Melville
composed the music for “Keep on Flying.” The two collaborated on several other compositions: “There’s an Angel Watching Buddy” and “The Sheret Post March.”
In addition to composing verse and lyrics, Archie painted watercolors.
Following their active lives in Albion, Archie and Eliza chose to return to the village of St. Faith’s in Norfolk. According to a Democrat & Chronicle article, they sold their home, furniture and car and set sail to England from Hoboken on July 13, 1962, having visited their daughter and son-in-law in New Jersey. Archie died in Norfolk in 1977 at the age of 83.
The sheet music for “Keep on Flying” is the only Chapman composition in the Orleans County Dept. of History collection. We would welcome any of the others, especially “The Sheret Post March.”
