Edward Thomas Chapman
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Edward Thomas Chapman VC, BEM (January 13, 1920- February 3, 2002) was a Welsh recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
Ted Chapman was born in Pontlottyn, near Rhymney, the son of a coal miner. He left school at age 14 and, like many of his generation, followed his father underground, at the Ogilvy Colliery.
He enlisted in April 1940 joining the Monmouths and seeing action from his regiments landing at D-Day in June 1944 through the advance into north west Europe. He was wounded at Falaise in the breakout from the Normandy bridgehead.
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He was 25 years old, and a Corporal in the 3rd Battalion, The Monmouthshire Regiment, British Army during the Second World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On 2 April 1945, near the Dortmund-Ems canal, Germany, Corporal Chapman's section came under heavy machine-gun fire from German units dug in and concealed, causing many casualties. He ordered his men to take cover and went forward alone with a Bren gun, mowing down the enemy at point-blank range, forcing them to retire. His section isolated, Corporal Chapman again halted the enemy advances with his Bren gun, at one time firing it over his shoulder while lying prone on his back in a shallow fold in the ground, to cover those bringing him ammunition. He then carried in his Company Commander, an officer, who was lying wounded, but on the way back the officer was killed by further German fire and Corporal Chapman wounded in the thigh. Refusing hospitalisation he returned to his section and ensured the consolidation of the ground gained which took a further two hours of fighting.
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He later achieved the rank of Company Sergeant-Major. In the Coronation Honours List of 1953, he was awarded the British Empire Medal. He is buried at Panteg near New Inn Monmouthshire and lived until his death at Abergavenny, Monmouthshire. He worked at ICI Fibres at Pontypool for 25 years. He was a noted breeder of Welsh Mountain Ponies which he exhibited and showed at the Royal Welsh Show at Builth Wells.
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[edit] References
- British VCs of World War 2 (John Laffin, 1997)
- Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
- The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)
- Tony Williams, Stephen Power, Edwin King, Brandon Smith
