Name
William Chapman
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
28/10/1915
24
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
19765
Hampshire Regiment
10th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
DOIRAN MEMORIAL
Greece
Headstone Inscription
No Report
UK & Other Memorials
Wheathampstead Village Memorial
Pre War
William was born in Wheathampstead in 1891 to Henry Chapman, a railway worker, and Elizabeth (nee King).
On the 1891 Census the Family of Parents, William, with older brothers Alfred (born 1884) and Harry (born 1885), and sister Martha (born 1887) were living at Hamwell Farm cottages, Nomansland, Wheathampstead. William’s father died in 1897. On the 1901 Census William was living with his widowed mother, still at Nomansland with brothers Alfred, a bricklayer’s apprentice, Harry, a carter on a farm; and the addition to the family of Charles (born 1893), Edith (born 1894) and Bertie (born 1896). On the 1911 Census William was a Dairyman still living with his mother at Nomansland with Alfred now a bricklayer, Charles was a farm labourer, Edith a servant (sister Martha was working as a domestic servant on both 1901 & 1911 Census elsewhere in Nomansland) and Bertie was a caddie at a golf links.
Wartime Service
William volunteered in Sep 1914 joining the Bedfordshire Regiment as Private 15967. No Service record could be found for William.
At some time he was transferred to 10th (Service) Battalion, Hampshire Regiment. He may have been a reinforcement to make up for heavy losses of this Battalion which landed at Anzac Cove, Gallipoli in Aug 1915 but was withdrawn for service in Salonika. William’s Medal Index Card records his landing in Salonika on 3 Oct 1915. He contracted Dysentery and he died at sea on 28 Oct 1915, which may have been during his medical evacuation.
As his was buried at sea he is commemorated on the Doiran Memorial, Greece.
Additional Information
War Gratuity of £4 and arrears of £1 10s 7d to his mother, 6s 3d to each of his brothers Charles & Bertie. Brother Bertie volunteered in Mar 1915 serving as Private 292662 1/7 Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers, wounded at Arras and discharged medically unfit 27 Dec 1917. Brother Charles also volunteered in Mar 1915 serving as Private 4726 & 266495 Hertfordshire Regiment, wounded on 31 Jul 1917 and taken Prisoner in Germany and after repatriation demobilised Mar 1919.
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
Jonty Wild
