Ashtead War Memorials - WWI - Private John William Chapman, 10th Bn, Devonshire Regiment

Ashtead War Memorials - WWI - Private John William Chapman
10th Bn, Devonshire Regiment

John was born in South Norwood, Croydon on the 5th May 1881, son of Jane Chapman, [1860-29/08/1881] formerly of Epsom. His Grandmother returned from Croydon with John to Epsom. According to his great grand-daughter Carole Vann, John was raised by Jane’s mother, Harriet, as he was living with her in the following census. He was baptised in Christchurch in Epsom 23/10/1881. It is believed that Harriet Chapman née Kitchenside had re-married to Thomas Ede, 26/10/1862: in 1881 they were living in 2 Charman's Cottages, The Common, Epsom.

John Chapman's marriage to Emily Margaret Bishop Radwell [b2/2/1883] on 26 December 1906 was in The Parish Church, Ashtead. Together they had children, the last son arriving on the 16/Feb/1915.

On 28 December 1914, however, JW Chapman, aged 36, had gone to Kingston upon Thames intent on volunteering for service in the Army. He was assigned to 10th (Service) Battalion, Devonshire Regiment, of the New Army, formed at Exeter 29 September 1914. As part of Kitchener's 3rd Army, the regiment came under 79th Brigade, 26th Division, which landed at Boulogne on 23 September 1915.

Subsequently the Division was re-deployed to Salonika in Greece. Doiran was roughly at the middle of a line occupied by the Allies in Macedonia where the Salonika force suffered heavy casualties during fierce fighting during 1917-1918. Graves at the Doiran Memorial almost entirely contain the remains of men from 22nd and 26th Divisions most of whom lost their lives in the 1st Battle of Doiran over April and May 1917: John was killed in action on 24 April 1917.

And so John Chapman never got to know his youngest child.

During WWI, 5 Park Walk, Ashtead, where he had resided with his wife and other offspring, is shown as tenanted by Thomas Chapman, presumed to have been John's uncle [d. reg. Epsom 3/1915?]. The widowed Emily went on to re-marry with William Smith [Epsom 3/1920].

John has no known grave. He is commemorated on the Doiran Memorial. Carole has been to Salonika with John Chapman's grandson (her Uncle) to pay her respects to him and all of those that died.

The Doiran Memorial - source: Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Dedication Panel and John Chapman's name: source Vann

Links
The Keep Military Museum, Dorchester, Dorset http://www.keepmilitarymuseum.org/
Battle of Doiran 1917 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Doiran_(1917)