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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Corporal Ernest Andrew Chapman, RFA, WW1


CDR. Shaun Chapman

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I am writing a book about our family including WW1-WW2 and wondered if there was any other information relating to my grandfather, Cpr. Ernest Andrew Chapman, R.F.A. (Driver/Gunner) Serial no: L/29187 . . . I have one photo, but another taken in Paris got lost in Lesotho, one where he was seated with his riding crop across his knees . . . 

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Hi Shaun,

 

Welcome to the forum.

 

Findmypast has his service record (- it should also be on Ancestry). They also have a copy of his Military Medal index card. The FMP records are linked here.

 

Regards

Chris

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Shaun

Your soldier seems to have served with 34 Division from it's landing in France in Jan 1916 and through to war's end.

He initially served with Divisional Ammunition Column before joining 176 Brigade RFA for a short period and then 160 Brigade RFA. There will be war diaries on Ancestry UK for these units where you can get the detail. Overall here is info on the make-up of the Division:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/34th_Division_(United_Kingdom)

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Great help, thanks . . . My father, Stanley W. Chapman RN, wasn't aware of the MM . . . Granddad told Dad how under heavy shell-fire they had taken a hit which had destroyed the gun and gun-carriage killing one man, Granddad was blown off his horse and had his left hand nearly severed off by shrapnel, and had plenty of other injuries. He unhitched the surviving horses with one hand and took them down a gully, and found two survivors of his team, they were unconscious so he dragged them into the gully as well, all under heavy shelling. He collapsed unconscious because of loss of blood . . . Regards, Shaun

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My Great -uncle Albert, Pvt. Albert Chapman, Gloucestershire Reg. 1st Battalion (38158), Savy British Cemetery, Aisne, France (Plot 11.A.15., Memorial ID: 56406951) was killed in action on 15th September 1918. Any illumination?

My Great-uncle James 'Jimmy' O'Sullivan fought in Turkey. He was captured but escaped. Evaded capture and headed to the coast where he 'borrowed' a boat and began the long-long row to Greece. Seven days at sea he was picked up by a destroyer. Any illumination? Unfortunately that's all the information I have on him other than the details of the days before, during and after his long row to Greece . . .

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3 hours ago, CDR. Shaun Chapman said:

My Great-uncle James 'Jimmy' O'Sullivan fought in Turkey.

Do you have a year for this event ? I presume you are saying you have no idea what regiment or if infantry, artillery etc?

Is there any other personal info on him like age ?

 

Charlie

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4 hours ago, CDR. Shaun Chapman said:

My Great -uncle Albert, Pvt. Albert Chapman, Gloucestershire Reg. 1st Battalion (38158), Savy British Cemetery, Aisne, France (Plot 11.A.15., Memorial ID: 56406951) was killed in action on 15th September 1918. Any illumination?

Soldiers Died in the Great War says he was FORMERLY SR/144947, ROYAL ARMY SERVICE CORPS. Died of wounds.

Note that the CWGC record has a concentration report which gives the grid reference of his original burial site.

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4 hours ago, CDR. Shaun Chapman said:

Granddad was blown off his horse and had his left hand nearly severed off by shrapnel, and had plenty of other injuries. He unhitched the surviving horses with one hand and took them down a gully, and found two survivors of his team, they were unconscious so he dragged them into the gully as well, all under heavy shelling. He collapsed unconscious because of loss of blood

Would certainly merit at least an MM ! But no mention in the Service Record of him being wounded or evacuated and no sign in the Daily Casualty Lists (not that the search is comprehensive). Do you have an approx date?

 

Charlie

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I would say that Albert was likely a Baker who originally enlisted 1 Nov 15

 

S4/144941 was issued 1 Nov 15 to a man in the ASC Bakery
S4/144942 was issued 1 Nov 15 to a man in the ASC Bakery
S4/144943 was issued 1 Nov 15 to a man in the ASC Bakery
S4/144946 was issued 1 Nov 15 to a man in the ASC Bakery
S4/144949 was issued 1 Nov 15 to a man in the ASC Bakery

 

Craig

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Hi Shaun,

 

20 hours ago, charlie962 said:
On ‎14‎/‎07‎/‎2019 at 10:53, CDR. Shaun Chapman said:

My Great -uncle Albert, Pvt. Albert Chapman, Gloucestershire Reg. 1st Battalion (38158), Savy British Cemetery, Aisne, France (Plot 11.A.15., Memorial ID: 56406951) was killed in action on 15th September 1918. Any illumination?

Soldiers Died in the Great War says he was FORMERLY SR/144947, ROYAL ARMY SERVICE CORPS. Died of wounds.

Note that the CWGC record has a concentration report which gives the grid reference of his original burial site.

 

His medal roll record indicates that his overseas service was with the 1/Gloucesters. His 38158 number would seem to date from June 1917. A couple of surviving service files show:

 

38152 Allen - arrived in France, transferred to the 1/Gloucesters (whilst at an Infantry Base Depot) on 17.6.1917, joining them in the field on 18.6.1917

38158

38164 Disley - transferred to the 1/Gloucesters on 17.6.1917

 

From the National Archive, the battalion war diary for 1917 is here, and 1918 is here. On Ancestry June 1917 starts here. The entry for June 18th notes that a draft of 81 'other ranks' joined. It's possible that Albert was one of those men.

 

His CWGC record indicates that his body was exhumed from map reference 62c,R.35.b.7.7, which would probably be close to where he originally fell. This link should open up on a map with square 62c.R.35 in the centre. Hopefully the good folk at British War Graves will be able to send you an image of his current resting place on a FOC basis.

 

There is advice on how to research a soldier on the LLThere.

 

Regards

Chris

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by clk
Hyperlink amended
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Thanks everyone . . . am still struggling with James O'Sullivan. He must have been born 1894-1899. Any idea what units were sent over to Turkey? That could narrow it down. Prisoners of war records? Escaped prisoners? Have searched but couldn't find any records relating to this . . . even the deployment of destroyers in the area between Turkey and Greece . . . Regards, Shaun

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Re EA Chapman

 

The war diary for 160 Brigade RFA record his award, with others, in the November 1917 pages and was almost certainly related to actions during October of that year.

 

Max

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Has Gallipoli (which is in Turkey) simply become Turkey in the family story.  Thus the number of possible units makes a pretty big haystack.

 

Max

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Apart from Gallipoli where there any British forces in Turkish territory prior to the end of the war ?


Craig

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There was fighting after 1918 into 1920s with the Army of Occupation in Turkey, I think ? But the reference to Turkey most probably means the Turks and as pointed out above that could be Gallipoli, Mespot or Palestine. The ICRC records for all three are in the same card index but, knowing the vaguaries and tardiness  of the Turkish record keeping, unless O'Sullivan was PoW for a long time it is unlikely that he will ever have got into the 'official' Turkish PoW lists.

 

Charlie

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With reference to Pvt. Albert Chapman:

1) Albert Chapman joined the Army on 1 Nov. 1915. His serial number issued being: SR/144947. Unit assigned to: Royal Army Service Corps, where he was assigned to the bakery in France. 

2) Pvt. Albert Chapman [left & rejoined, or, was assigned to, or requested transfer to], a combat division. His serial number now being that of: 38158 with an enlistment date of June 1917. When his group of men arrived in France they mustered at the Infantry Base Depot on 17.6.1917, where they were transferred to Gloucestershire Regiment, 1st Battalion~joining them in the trenches, on the field of battle, on 18.6.1917 . . .

3) Pvt. Albert Chapman was killed in action on the 15th September 1918 near Grid Reference 62c,R.35.b.7.7, from whence his body was exhumed and transferred to Savy British Cemetery, Aisne, France.  

 

[Any idea what happened, most likeliest scenario in (2)?]

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On 16/07/2019 at 18:18, MaxD said:

Has Gallipoli (which is in Turkey) simply become Turkey in the family story.  Thus the number of possible units makes a pretty big haystack.

 

Max

Quite possibly~Gallipoli referenced as Turkey~How many British soldiers were captured during the landings at Gallipoli?

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On 18/07/2019 at 23:39, CDR. Shaun Chapman said:

Quite possibly~Gallipoli referenced as Turkey~How many British soldiers were captured during the landings at Gallipoli?

 

There is a previous topic about POWs captured at Gallipoli:

Cheers

Maureen

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  • 1 month later...
On 14/07/2019 at 21:52, clk said:

Hi Shaun,

 

 

His medal roll record indicates that his overseas service was with the 1/Gloucesters. His 38158 number would seem to date from June 1917. A couple of surviving service files show:

 

38152 Allen - arrived in France, transferred to the 1/Gloucesters (whilst at an Infantry Base Depot) on 17.6.1917, joining them in the field on 18.6.1917

38158

38164 Disley - transferred to the 1/Gloucesters on 17.6.1917

 

From the National Archive, the battalion war diary for 1917 is here, and 1918 is here. On Ancestry June 1917 starts here. The entry for June 18th notes that a draft of 81 'other ranks' joined. It's possible that Albert was one of those men.

 

His CWGC record indicates that his body was exhumed from map reference 62c,R.35.b.7.7, which would probably be close to where he originally fell. This link should open up on a map with square 62c.R.35 in the centre. Hopefully the good folk at British War Graves will be able to send you an image of his current resting place on a FOC basis.

 

There is advice on how to research a soldier on the LLThere.

 

Regards

Chris

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks awfully for shedding light on Great-uncle Albert, it really has helped me tremendously and has clarified so many issues about his death and what happened to him . . . Thanks again . . .

 

Kind Regards, Shaun

On 14/07/2019 at 16:18, ss002d6252 said:

I would say that Albert was likely a Baker who originally enlisted 1 Nov 15

 

S4/144941 was issued 1 Nov 15 to a man in the ASC Bakery
S4/144942 was issued 1 Nov 15 to a man in the ASC Bakery
S4/144943 was issued 1 Nov 15 to a man in the ASC Bakery
S4/144946 was issued 1 Nov 15 to a man in the ASC Bakery
S4/144949 was issued 1 Nov 15 to a man in the ASC Bakery

 

Craig

Thanks Craig, this has been a great help to me . . .

 

Kind Regards, Shaun

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On 12/07/2019 at 22:53, sotonmate said:

Shaun

Your soldier seems to have served with 34 Division from it's landing in France in Jan 1916 and through to war's end.

He initially served with Divisional Ammunition Column before joining 176 Brigade RFA for a short period and then 160 Brigade RFA. There will be war diaries on Ancestry UK for these units where you can get the detail. Overall here is info on the make-up of the Division:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/34th_Division_(United_Kingdom)

Thanks, this has really been a great help to me . . . Regards, Shaun

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