CHAPMAN, Victor Fuller


No.15986, Private, Victor Fuller CHAPMAN
Aged 22


"D" Coy.,7th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment
Killed in Action on Wednesday, 27th March 1918


Victor Fuller CHAPMAN was born on 27th September 1897 in Weston Colville (Linton Q4-1897 3B:493), baptised in Haverhill on 27th October 1897 son of James Henry and Martha CHAPMAN (née MINNS).
His given name of Fuller comes from his paternal grandfather, Fuller CHAPMAN, a carpenter (employer) from Chapel Road, Weston Colville. His mother was the daughter of James (butcher) and Jane MINNS of Gazeley.



1901 census...Aged 3, he was at Withersfield Road, Great Wratting with his father James CHAPMAN [32] under carpenter on gentleman's estate; his mother Martha [31] born Higham; brother William [8] and sister Lucy [5]. All the children were born in Weston Colville.

1911 census...Aged 13, a greengrocer's errand boy, he was at 2 Crowland Yard, Haverhill with his widowed mother, brother Frederick [9] and sister Alice[5], both born in West Wratting. His father had died in 1909. His mother had borne 7 children but lost 2 (There were George and Alice recorded on his "Soldiers Personal Effects" entry)


He enlisted in Haverhill, his entry in Du Ruvigny's Roll of Honour reads :-
CHAPMAN, VICTOR FULLER, Private, No.15986, 7th (Service) Battn. The Suffolk Regt., s.of the late James Chapman, by his wife, Martha (21A Hamlet Road, Haverhill, co.Suffolk), dau of James Minns; b. Weston Colville, co. Cambridge, 27 Sept.1897; educ. Haverhill aforesaid; enlisted 9 Nov.1914; served with the Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders from 22 July, 1915 and was killed in action near Albert 26 March 1918. Buried at Albert. His Capt wrote:"The loss of such a good soldier is indeed great; I am sure it will be most difficult to replace him. He was a man highly respected by both officers and men, one that could be relied upon to do his duty nobly and well." Unm.



The South West Suffolk Echo of 27th April 1918 recorded:-
"Notification has been received that Pte. V.F.Chapman, Suffolk Regt.,(of 21a Hamlet Road, Haverhill) was killed in action on March 26th by a machine gin bullet, and that death was instantaneous. Mrs. Chapman has received the following letter from the Captain of the Company:-"Allow me to convey to you the deepest sympathy of all ranks of the Company in the loss of your son Pte.V.F.Chapman, who was, unfortunately, killed on the evening of the 26th Inst. The loss of such a good soldier is indeed great, and I am sure it will be most difficult to replace him. He was a man highly respected by both officers and men; one who could be relied upon to do his duty nobly and well.It will console you to know that he suffered no pain, as he was killed instantly."


On the 26th March 1918 the 7th Suffolks were taking up defensive positions in the Albert bridgehead that they had themselves prepared 2 years earlier. With their backs to the wall, they were striving, without artillery support, bombs, rifle grenades or trench mortars, to stem the onrush of the overwhelming numbers of the enemy. They had left billets in Albert and by 15:00 had dug themselves in along the railway, their left resting on Albert station and the right 300 yards south of the Albert-Amiens road. At 16:30 they saw waves of Germans advancing towards Albert and around 17:30 the enemy were seen marching along the Albert-Millencourt road. Here the Suffolks, with a Lewis gun, inflicted heavy casualties but the gun was soon put out of action. Attacks along the railway line were twice driven off .
At 22.20 the Germans attacked in great strength and the bridgehead was lost.. At 23:15 a counter attack was attempted by the remnants of 2 Platoon together with some from the 5th Northants. Shortage of ammunition doomed this to failure. The line was then withdrawn 300 yards and stabilised. By the time the battalion was relieved on the 28th and the roll taken, they had suffered 256 casualties, one platoon had been reduced to three men.

Unusually for a war diary, all the other rank casualties, killed and wounded, are named in each Company, hence we know Albert was in "D" Coy Such was the state of the action on 26th/27th that the actual day some men died is not known, fighting was obviously more important than writing the diary

Of the 72 men recorded as killed on 27th, only 9 have identified graves.



photo: Roy Beardsworth



Victor Chapman is commemorated on the Pozières memorial, addenda panel
and on the Haverhill mmemorial and in the Congregational Church, Haverhill

click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details


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