CHAPMAN, Lieutenant-Colonel Alfred Ernest VD

Lieutenant-Colonel Alfred Ernest Chapman VD

3rd New South Wales Mounted Rifles

18th Battalion AIF

by Robert Simpson

Alfred Ernest Chapman was born in the Manning River area in the mid-north coast of New South Wales on 6^th October 1868 to William Chapman and Catherine Skerrett. William had been born in Paterson Plains in New South Wales in 1827 and married Catherine in Port Macquarie on 21^st September 1855. Alfred was one of 12 children to them, and one of 8 boys. He was the 8^th child to them with the eldest being born in 1856 and the youngest in 1875. It is not known what they did (possibly some sort of farming) but they seemed to stay around the Manning River area. His early education was at the Fort Street High School.

At the age of 17, in 1885, he was registered on the Teachers roll in New South Wales. He was employed on probation as a pupil teacher at Wingham Primary on 22^nd April 1885. On 11^th August he was appointed as Pupil Teacher on duty. He was promoted from Class IV to Class III on 1^st April 1886, from Class III to Class II on 1^st April 1887 and from Class II to Class I on 1^st April 1888. On 28^th June 1888 he was removed from Wingham to Fort Street Public Boys. He gained a half scholarship at examination for admission to the Training School on 16^th December 1889 and was admitted to Fort Street Training School on 20^th January 1890. On leaving the Training School on December 1891 he was awarded a provisional Class IIA. From 28^th March 1892 he temporarily attended William St. and on the 31^st he was allowed to return to Training School for a third year’s course. He then had temporary attendance at Plymouth Public from 16^th January 1893 and that was cancelled on the 27^th and he was allowed to return to training school until March 1893. While there he was awarded Class IIA with Honors in lieu of the class previously awarded. He was authorised to attend temporarily at Darlington from the 13^th March and similarly at Sussex St from the 24^th. From the 12^th April he was in temporary attendance at Cleveland St Public and at St Leonards Public from 21^st January 1895.

 

On 18^th February 1895 Alfred was recorded in the New South Wales Gazette as being confirmed from a probationary 2^nd Lieutenant to being a 2^nd Lieutenant. The Gazette on 11^th July of the same year recorded him as being promoted to a 1^st Lieutenant.

He married Hannah Maria Warry on 17^th August 1895 at St. Leonards in New South Wales by Reverend J Bennett Anthea in Mariner’s Church. She had been born in Liverpool England in 1848 (although on the marriage record she had stated her birth year to be 1858). Hannah was a widower and had been previously married twice. Her first husband, Robert Mockridge, died in 1881 and they had no children. James Henry Skerrett, her second husband, died in 1894. From that marriage she had a daughter, Marie Olive Skerrett born in Melbourne in 1884 and a son, James Dudley Skerrett born 1887 in Germany. For both husbands, she had married in Victoria and so must have moved to New South Wales at some time before meeting Alfred. His school record has the marriage noted with her as Hannah M Skerrett.

In the New South Wales Gazette of 9^th January 1896 Alfred was promoted to Captain in the 2^nd Regiment.

He was instructed to act as assistant teacher at Windsor Public on 4^th January 1896 and from 4^th January 1899 he was instructed to act as 1^st assistant at Rochedale Public.

 

Albert was granted leave of absence without pay to enable him to accompany the New South Wales military contingent to South Africa. No date was recorded. The Evening News ran a list of officers of the Imperial Bushmen that was approved with Captain Alfred Ernest Chapman of the 2^nd Infantry Regiment to be a First Lieutenant. The article was published on 14^th April 1900. Another newspaper had an article on the 19^th stating in the Imperial Bushmen’s Contingent that First Lieutenant Alfred Ernest Chapman (who is a Captain in the 2^nd Regiment) has resigned. No reason was stated. Another article in the Sydney Morning Herald of February 1901 has appointment of officers to the 3^rd Regiment of Mounted Rifles, Imperial Draft Contingent and under the heading of Captains was Captain Alfred Ernest Chapman, 2^nd Infantry Regiment. An article in the Evening News of Sydney on 4^th March 1901 has a drawing of Captain Chapman and goes on to say “who has been appointed to the 3^rd Regiment of Mounted Rifles for South Africa, has been suffering the last week from an attack of acute dermatitis. His friends will be pleased to hear that he has so far recovered that he hopes to be back in camp by to-morrow.”

In the Boer War Alfred went with the 3^rd New South Wales Mounted Rifles in C Squadron as a Captain. The Regiment was raised upon the same lines as previous ones with certain criteria needing to be made. C Squadron embarked on the British Princess on 21^st March 1901 and arrived in Durban on 17^th April. An article in the Capricornian in October 1901 from London has a list of members of the Australian Forces who had become convalescent and resumed duty which included Captain Chapman (New South Wales Mounted Rifles). In an article in the Australian Town and Country Journal of Sydney on the Boer War it discussed the stiff fighting at Forts Itala and Prospect on the Zululand frontier of Natal where an outpost was firstly attacked and overrun by the Boer. They then attacked the forts with desperation, continually attacking the British positions. After the battle over 300 Boers were buried. Lord Kitchener congratulated Chapman on his defence and said that for the fine stand made by the defenders the results may have been disastrous. They served from April 1901 to April 1902 in Orange Free State and Eastern Transvaal under Colonel Remington and were involved in the Boer breakthrough at Langverwacht in February 1902. The regiment embarked at Cape Town on 4^th May 1902 and arrived in Sydney on 3^rd June after stopping at Albany, Adelaide and Melbourne on the way. He was awarded the Queens South Africa medal with Orange Free State, Transvaal and South Africa 1901 and 1902 Clasps.

After returning he was granted further leave without pay until 31^st March 1903, then 26^th June and then 30^th September 1903. Then on 28^th November 1903 he was transferred to the Department of Attorney General and of Justice. The Public Service List for 1904 has him as Clerk, Petty Sessions office in Newtown and that he was first appointed to the service on 27^th April 1885 and to his present position on 28^th November 1903.

 

William Chapman passed away on 24^th September 1904 in Tinonee, New South Wales. His wife, Catherine, passed away on 29^th October 1910 in Taree, New South Wales.

Marie Olive Skerrett married Norman Arthur Rutter in 1910 in St. Leonards, Sydney.

The 1913 electoral roll for Willoughby shows Alfred and Hannah living at Mallarah, Greenwich Road and he was of independent means. She was listed as Marie.

On 19^th June 1914 Hannah passed away in St. Leonards, New South Wales.

 

Albert was appointed in the Australian Imperial Force on 16^th March 1915. He had been serving with the 24^th Infantry AMF Unit when he enlisted and was a Lieutenant-Colonel with 21 years in the Infantry. His present civil employment was a Police Magistrate and he stated his year of birth as 1869 (took off a year). The medical certificate showed him to be 5 foot 10.5 inches tall, weighed 13 stone 2 pounds, had a chest measurement of 39 inches and his eyesight was good. As a Lieutenant-Colonel in command of the 18^th Battalion he sailed with them on HMAT Ceramic A40 on 25^th June 1915 as part of the 5^th Infantry Brigade. The 18^th Battalion had been raised at Liverpool in March 1915. Most of the men for the Battalion came from Sydney. There were a few law professionals in it. The nominal roll lists him as being 46 years old, a Police magistrate, living in the Commercial Bank Crow’s Nest Branch in New South Wales with is next of kin as George Arthur Chapman of Chapman’s Avenue in Chatswood, New South Wales. His religion was Presbyterian. His daily rate of pay was 36 shillings and 6 pence which was paid to 24^th June 1915. Of his pay he allotted 20 shillings to Australia, 10 for himself and deferred 7 shillings and 6 pence. His occupation was a Police Magistrate. Another service records lists his step-daughter as next of kin, as Marie Olive Rutter of Commercial Bank, Crow’s Nest. So he had been living with her family after his wife passed away. They arrived in Egypt at the end of July and only had limited training there and nothing with bombs.

Being ashore on Gallipoli for just a couple of days (they landed on the night of the 19^th August), the Battalion was still committed to the last operation of the August offensive, the attack on Hill 60. The hill had to be taken to help the British join up with the Anzacs. They were ordered to attack the communication trench there with bayonets and bombs, but when Chapman advised they had no bombs, the reply was to do the best that was possible without them. The battalion lost over 50% of its strength through the attacks which lasted to 29^th August. Afterwards the battalion was used in a defensive roll, primarily at Courtney’s Post. He wrote a letter to the G.O.C. of the 5^th Infantry Brigade from Pope’s Reserve Gully on 9^th September stating “For some time past my state of health has been such that I have been, and am now, unable to bear the strain of commanding my battalion, and I respectfully request that I may be permitted to relinquish my command on that account.” On 11^th September he resigned his commission in the AIF at Gallipoli. He was evacuated to Alexandria on 18^th September from Mudros on a hospital ship and admitted to the 2^nd Australian General Hospital at Ghezireh on the 26^th with a not yet diagnosed condition.

A record of his stay in the hospital contains information that he was ill in Egypt for 3 weeks with diarrhoea. He now had shellshock and the diarrhoea had continued. It goes on to describing his symptoms and treatment while in there including morphine. It stated he “has had a very strenuous time at Anzac”. By October he was doing well and convalescing. His clinical chart lists colitis and shock as his diseases and shows his temperature with a couple of spikes and how many motions he did daily. Another chart shows his diet which includes jelly, custard and red wine.

In his service records is a handwritten and typed story of what happened over the period of 21^st to 24^th August with the 18^th Battalion and Lieutenant-Colonel Chapman. It paints a picture of indecision and slackness and an inability to command and was written by Major Evan Wisdom, brigade Major for the 5^th Brigade. But it seems to be biased. There was no discussion about the battalion being new, tired and untrained on Gallipoli, the impact that the lack of bombs had in the attack, the concentration of Turkish machine guns on the attack area and the affect that all had on the men. Attacks on either side also failed, leaving them open to enfilading fire.

Major-General H Godley forwarded on a letter from Major-General Cox on Lieutenant-Colonel Chapman on 31^st August, adding “the repots I have received of this Officer’s work entirely bear out what General Cox says of him.” He also forwards it on to Brigadier-General Holmes to get his “recommendation on the subject”.

On 29^th August Major-General H V Cox wrote a letter stating “I wish to report that from personal observation, and from reports I have received, I do not consider that Lt.-Col. Chapman is fit for the position he now holds as O.C. of the 18^th Battn., 5^th Aust. Bde.” Brigadier-General William Holmes wrote on 8^th September from Russell’s Top that he concurred that Alfred was unfit “for Battalion Command, and recommend that he be relieved of his Command.” On the 9^th he wrote to GOC forwarding on a letter from Alfred asking to relinquish his command and recommending a favourable consideration of the request. A reply from Major Gellibrand on 16^th September to Alfred acknowledged his resignation of his commission with effect from the 11^th September and he had to report to Cairo for return to Australia to which he replied “noted”.

A letter written on Gallipoli on 10^th September 1915 from Alfred to the parents of a soldier named Addison contains the line he “died a soldier’s death while leading his men in a charge on the Turkish trenches soon after we landed”. There were two Addison’s killed on that day, the 22^nd August. One was a Private and the other was 2^nd Lieutenant Wilfred Emmott Addison. He was in D Company and an accountant by profession and had apparently said “I daresay, I shall be one of the first to fall” according to Charles Bean. So it is probably his parents the letter was sent to. At the bottom of it is a note saying “please return” and signed by H B Addison.

On 11^th October 1915 Albert wrote to the GOC of 5^th Brigade asking if he could amend his application to resign to be dated from one month after he was discharged from hospital, so he could have time to return to Australia. He also wrote to General Holmes asking him to forward the letter on and supporting the request. He mentions in the letter that it was suggested to him that he left in disgrace and Alfred was sure it was not his intention to permit him to suffer unjustly. He also stated the GOC did not want to see him as there was no place available for him. He also asked about settling his account. On the 6^th November General Holmes replied declining the request. He pointed out he resigned, not only from commanding the 18^th Battalion, but from the AIF. He also pointed out that he was not in hospital when he wrote the original resignation. He also mentions his son Lieutenant Basil Holmes and other officers being sent to hospital due to being ill and also lots of the Brigade’s troops being ill with dysentery and diarrhoea.

In the Sunday Times Sydney on 17^th October was an article titled “Brother Leads Brigade at Anzac, Sister advocates Conscription”. It was primarily an article on Alfred’s sister Florence Emma. She had married and her surname was Ochs. The article stated she was the only daughter and the family was of nine children, both which are wrong. It does say her father was a pastoralist. She learnt various skills on the farm and took a part in public life when she moved to Sydney. The article goes on to say “During this time Mrs. Ochs was closely associated with the military development of her brother, Colonel Alfred Ernest Chapman, and through him she received an excellent grasp of things military.” She believed in compulsive military training and conscription although she believed that men younger than 25 were too young to handle the stress and strain, mentally and physically. The article goes on to discuss Alfred saying he had “military experience of over 20 years standing”. Again it erred when it said he was the youngest of eight brothers (he was in fact the 2^nd youngest). All were over 6 feet in height and the other seven had commercial careers. It says his parents sent him to Sydney to study, which he early displayed a penchant for and took his B.A. degree in 1893 and entered the law. He was attached to the 36^th Regiment and rose to the rank of Captain. “He served throughout the South African campaign as a captain in Colonel Remington’s Brigade, won his V.D. and South African medal with four clasps, and was raised to the rank of Colonel”. He also was with the squad that captured Miss Botha. He had four near calls with enteric and it was his batman who helped him through it three times. On return to New South Wales his men presented him with and inscribed medal of appreciation. The article also has (rather poor) pictures of them both.

It goes on to say he then entered the law again and became magistrate of the Children’s Court. He still was involved with military matters. When enlisting for WW1 he found that men who were with him in the Boer War wanted to be attached to his command and some went to interesting lengths to press their claim. The 5^th Brigade spent two weeks in Egypt before being ordered to the front and chosen to lead the attack on 22^nd August and was in at least two big battles.

The story also mentions his nephew being at the front. In fact both sons of Florence joined, Reginald Rudolph Ochs, Sapper 2014 of the 1^st Field Company Engineers joined on 24^th July 1915 and Leonard George Ochs, 16149 Private Mechanical Transport Section joined on 17^th October 1917. Both also served in World War 2 in the Volunteer Defence Force.

Base Records sent his brother a note on 15^th October 1915 saying Alfred was temporarily unfit for further service and was returning to Australia to recuperate. George replied on the 21st, repeating the message and asking if they could tell him what he was suffering from, if he has left Egypt and when he was due back in Australia. Their reply on the 27^th said they could not give any more information other than that already supplied, but would notify him if they received another report. After spending 50 days in the No. 2 Australian General Hospital at Cairo, Alfred was discharged on 14^th November. His illness was listed as colitis and shock and the result was relieved. Alfred returned to Australia on 15^th November 1915 on the H. S. Borda from Suez, arrived in Melbourne on 13^th December and relinquished his commission on 14^th December 1915 when his resignation was accepted. A note in his service records reads “Not considered fit for the position of OC 18bth. Allowed to resign as an act of grace. Not to be called up for duty or assume duty with Citizen Forces.”

On the 6^th November 1915 a reply from Major J Gellibrand pointing out what was approved was the resignation of his commission in the Australian Imperial Forces with effect from 11^th September 1915 with a copy of the minute added. He added that the request to amend the application could not be recommended.

Alfred sent a letter to General Holmes on 8^th November 1915 from Ghezireh Hospital asking if he would give the enclosed application his full consideration. The letter was to the GOC of the 5^th Brigade AIF asking if he could withdraw the letter asking to be relieved of his command due to ill health and as he had been convalescing he would be available duties as deemed advisable as soon as he was discharged. A reply on the 27^th December stated that the GOC had nothing to add from his previous letter.

A letter from his step-daughter (Mrs M O Rutter at Crow’s Nest, Sydney) to Captain McLean on 4^th December 1915 asked when he was to return, as one paper published a list of returning soldiers with him in it and another does not have him and she wanted to find out where he was. The reply from Base Records stated they only knew he was temporarily unfit for further service and was being returned to Australia to recuperate. They did not know when but that next of kin would be advised upon any information being received by them.

In Stephens Church in Sydney on 14^th August 1918, Alfred married Lily Forest Taylor, who had been born in 1882 in Glebe, New South Wales. Her father John had been born in Ireland in 1834 and had migrated to Australia in 1857 on the Glen Isla. Her mother Helen Grierson had been born in Scotland in 1837 and also migrated to Australia in 1857 on the Glen Isla. An article in the Sydney Times described it as a military wedding at St. Stephens Church by Reverend John Ferguson. It goes into detail of the wedding gown. Captain W. S. Hinton was the best man and they left the church under an arch of steel formed by a list of officers.

A Form of Commission was received by him on 9^th May 1918.

He was promoted to Colonel in the AMF on 1^st November 1919.

In 1919 they were living at Champion Road in Ryde where on 5^th November someone entered the house and stole numerous items, mainly of gold, to the value of 10 pounds. They were listed in a Police report on the incident. They were also at the same address in 1920. A telegram to Base Records on 16^th February 1920 asked what was his district of enlistment, to which the reply stated he was appointed to the AIF in the 2^nd Military District. By 1925 they had moved to 2 Seaforth Street, Bexley. The Public Service list for New South Wales in 1929 has Alfred on the Relieving Staff. He was Relieving Police Magistrate, Coroner, Mining Warden for State, Magistrate under Fair Rents Act, 1915, and Industrial Magistrate. The 1930 Electoral Roll shows them still at that address and Alfred was listed as a civil servant. The same address and occupation was listed in the 1933 roll. Alfred was a member of the St. George Bowling and Recreation Club.

On 14^th September 1933 Alfred passed away in Rockdale in Sydney and was buried in Waverley Cemetery, row 25, section 9 vaults plot number 307-9 after a service at St. Andrews Cathedral. Wood Coffill were the funeral directors. Probate for his will was granted on 15^th January 1934. His occupation was listed as Stipendiary Magistrate.

 

His brother, George Arthur Chapman of Chapman Street Chatswood NSW filled out a form for Sydney University on him in December 1933 for his war service record. He filled it in as Lieutenant-Colonel Alfred Ernest Chapman of the 18^th Battalion, who enlisted on 16^th March 1915 at Crow’s Nest NSW. He embarked on Ceramic on 25^th June 1915 and returned to Australia on 13^th December 1915 on Borda. He stated nil to casualty or decorations, which was not correct. For details of his service he relinquished his commission in Australian Imperial Force on 14^th December 1915 and returned ill, temporarily unfit. He was promoted to Colonel. George also listed his Boer War record where he was with the 3^rd New South Wales Mounted Rifles as a Captain. They embarked on 21^st March 1901 on the transport British Princess and returned to Australia on 3^rd June 1902. He put nil for casualties and decorations again. For school attended before entrance to University he wrote Fort Street and he thought Alfred was at University for four years. For degrees he wrote B.A. and L.L.B.

 

After Alfred died, Lily married Clive Arnott, who was a solicitor, in 1936 and continued to live in the house at 2 Seaforth St. Bexley. Clive passed away in 1956 and Lily passed away on 7^th June 1959 in Chatswood.

A letter from Australian War Memorial in 1963 discussed papers that were found in a collection of papers from the late Major-General W Holmes that had been given to the AWM by his next of kin. As they were personal and confidential it was felt they should not be kept by the AWM, but should be placed with Army Records. Their recept was acknowledged with a note saying they had been placed in Chapman’s record. Presumably they included all the letters from and to Alfred and to Holmes about him as found in his service records.

 

 

His medals are Queens South Africa medal with Orange Free State, Transvaal, South Africa 1901 and 1902 clasps, 1914-15 Star, British War medal, Victory medal and Volunteer Decoration.

 

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