Arnold David CHAPMAN

Arnold David CHAPMAN Update Details

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S386

CHAPMAN, Arnold David

Service Number:	2579
Enlisted:	Not yet discovered
Last Rank:	Lance Sergeant
Last Unit:	32nd Infantry Battalion
Born:	Not yet discovered
Home Town:	Not yet discovered
Schooling:	Not yet discovered
Occupation:	Not yet discovered
Memorials:	Houghton War Memorial

World War 1 Service

25 Mar 1916:	Involvement Private, 2579, 32nd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '17' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Shropshire embarkation_ship_number: A9 public_note: ''
25 Mar 1916:	Embarked Private, 2579, 32nd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Shropshire, Adelaide
11 Nov 1918:	Involvement Lance Sergeant, 2579, 32nd Infantry Battalion
Date unknown:	Wounded 2579, 32nd Infantry Battalion

France, Monday October 9th 1916

John H Hurst when 8yrs old, received this letter. John treasured the letter and kept it safe, and since his death in 2000, it has become part of the Family Memorabilia to be passed on to the next generation.
The letter is transcribed & submitted by Kenneth H Hurst - (Son of John H Hurst)
--ooOoo--

"Dear John
My word you expect a nice long letter two pages aye, well I will try and write a nice long one in return for the one you wrote to me. I am glad to know that you still go to Sunday School and I hope you go as often as you can, do the other boys I used to teach come to school very often My word don't I wish I could pop in to Sunday school of a Sunday when you were all there wouldn't we have a good time aye.

All we can do is to look to Jesus and if he is willing he will bring me back safe and sound and won't we have a good time then. I will have lots of things to talk about.
I hope you had good time on your Arbour Day and have you got a tree yet?

I have a tree by the Sunday School you ask Don he will show you which one it is.
I hope that you don't ever have to go to war because it is such a terrible thing, and the unhappy time it makes for the Fathers, Mothers sisters and brothers who they leave behind when they go. I have had enough of this war myself. I am glad to know that you say

(Page 2)
your prayers, because Jesus keeps us safe if we trust him. Mr Pearce must be a very nice man by what I can hear of him.

I expect Don gets plenty of work to do now.
I expect the fruit trees are looking nice now and what sort of a crop of cherries is there. I paid 5 pence for a medium sized pear the other day and 1/3d for a pound of grapes so you can guess I don't get much fruit now, I can't go down in the garden like I used to be able to at home. My word you will soon be betting a man - eight years old. I expect you will be helping Father with his work now.

My word you must have had a lot of rain last winter, I hope you are having nice weather now. I have just had my tea and it is about five o'clock and we have to go out and do some work directly. It gets cold in the trenches sometimes when it rains and terrible muddy. We have been having fairly good weather so far. I went over to England and had a good time there. I suppose you know that *Ern has been hit with a piece of shell, but I am alright so far. I am quite well and hope you, and your brother and sisters, Father and Mother are in the best of health.

You ought to be thankful you live in a nice quiet place and I hope you thank Jesus for it. Goodbye
Best Love from Your old
Teacher."

'Ern' refers to Arnold David Chapman's brother.
Chapman Ernest Edgar : SERN 2580 (Full Details on Digitised Record)

Virtual
War Memorial
Australia