Henry James Chapman

A Second Lieutenant attached to the 7th Battalion The Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment), Henry died on 8th of August 1918 at the age of 32. 

Henry was born at Ely in 1886, a son of Henry and Sarah Chapman. In 1891 his family lived at 36 Bamford Place, Barking, Essex. By 1901 they were living at Midloe, Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire, and Henry was a music seller’s assistant. 

In 1911 Henry lodged at 16 Waldegrave Road, Hornsey, and he was an assistant schoolmaster for London County Council. Later Henry was a teacher at Barming School, Maidstone, Kent. 

In 1913 Henry married Daisy Ethel Plant, a school teacher, of Chesterton, Cambridgeshire. Later Daisy lived at 116 Blines Grove, Cherry Hinton, Cambridge, then Wyncote, Hall Road, Oulton Broad, and then at 45 Marine Parade, Lowestoft. 

Henry enlisted in the Army. He joined the 16th London Regiment, service number 7532, and later he was renumbered 553889. Henry did not serve overseas before 1917.  

Henry was commissioned, as Second Lieutenant in the Norfolk Regiment, on 28 February 1917. He was posted to France and joined 17 Infantry Base Depot. On 27 April 1917 he joined 8th Battalion Norfolk Regiment, at Valhuon, and became an officer with A Company. In July 1917 Henry served as a Brigade Officer with 53rd Brigade: note some sources state that he was an intelligence officer. IN August 1917 he returned to A Company, 8th Battalion. The 8th Battalion was disbanded in France on 12 February 1918 and after this Henry was attached to the 7th Battalion The Queen’s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment) and he joined the battalion on 10 March 1918. On 20 March 1918 the battalion were in front line positions near Moy. The German Ludendorff offensive began on 21 March and the 7th Battalion were particularly heavily engaged: by the end of the day eighteen officers were either killed, wounded, or missing and among the other ranks there were approximately 577 casualties. For the next three week the battalion, though depleted in number, were heavily engaged and it seems that for his gallantry and devotion to duty during this period Henry was awarded the Military Cross. His award was noted in the battalion war diary of June 1918 and published in the London Gazette, of 16 September 1918, page 10933, with the following citation:

For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty during three weeks’ fighting, especially on one occasion when he went forward through an intense barrage to ascertain the situation, bringing back important information. On numerous other occasions his keenness has led him to make useful reconnaissances, and his services have been most useful. 

On 6 August 1918 the 7th Battalion occupied the Roma Line from the Somme to the Bray-Corbie Road and the next day they moved into positions in preparation for an attack. At 4.20 a.m. on 8 August the preliminary barrage began, and the battalion advanced in artillery formation. A dense fog meant that it was impossible to see more than 20 yards ahead. The leading companies reached Burke Street. A Company crossed to the south of the Bray-Corbie Road and encountered several enemy machine-guns and groups of men and there was a considerable amount of fighting. About 7 a.m. a party of around 200 men of the 7th Battalion, along with some men of the Essex and Berkshire Regiments, formed up astride the road to continue the advance. A party of men from B Company were able to push on, along the roadside, and, with the support of two tanks, reached the Blue Line. On the right the brickyard was attacked, and the battalion were able to link up with the 10th Battalion Essex Regiment. About 3.45 p.m. the enemy launched a counter-attack, but the battalion held their positions and remained in these positions until the next day.  

The battalion’s casualties during the attack were:
Officers: two killed, six wounded
Other ranks: 198

Henry was killed in action on 8 August.