5059 Sergeant Percival Douglas Chapman

Percival Douglas Chapman was born in Hampshire, England, in 1894. A nurseryman by trade, he enlisted at Toowoomba, Queensland on the 18th November 1915, aged 21 years and 9 months.

He was 5 foot 4 ½ inches tall and weighed 8 stone 8 lbs, of fair complexion with blue eyes and light coloured hair; denomination Church of England. He had served 10 months in the Territorials.

His father, Frank Chapman, of Mt Lofty via Toowoomba was listed as his next of kin.

Percy left Sydney on the troopship HMAT Star of Victoria on 5th May 1916 and sailed to Egypt for further training.

He joined the 47th Battalion on 3rd February 1917 on the western front, and was appointed Acting Sergeant on that date and to the rank of Sergeant on 3rd March 1917.

Sergeant Percival Chapman was killed during the major attack on 7 June 1916 at Messines, south of Ypres in Belgium. The attack, in which AIF battalions has a major role, had commenced in the early hours of that morning with the explosion of a series of huge mines under the German Lines. The 47th Battalion was part of the second wave, advancing around the south eastern side of the ruins of the village of Messines during the afternoon.

A handwritten note on Sergeant Chapman’s record states that he was buried 750 yards east of Messines. This area was the objective of 47th Battalion’s difficult and costly advance that afternoon. Today Sergeant Chapman has no known grave, and is accordingly listed on the Menin Gate memorial at Ypres.

 

 

 

Duncan BROOKES