25th County of London Cyclist Battalion
The London Regiment


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Stanley Philip CHAPMAN


Stanley was born in 1894 in Islington, the son of Philip George Chapman, a Law Clerk, and Rose Leavina (nee Sims).

He enlisted in Sept 1914, was granted temporary release from military service in India on the 1st Sept 1919 and was permanently released on the 27th Oct 1919. 
[Final Extract of Account form FC52 - NAM. 1993-11-87 - 11] 


Battalion Notables

Stanley Chapman, became by virtue of his being awarded the Military Medal in the Waziristan Campaign, became the first man in the Battalion to win honours on the field of battle.

Shortly after the arrival of the Column at Kundiwan, in the afternoon of June 23rd, "B" Coy. was ordered to supply a piquet to occupy a hill some 1,100 yards from the camp, build a sangar and remain in position through the night. Chapman formed one of the party

The terrain was difficult, and flanking the position to be held was a village occupied by Mahsuds. Although these had been dealt with by the Mountain Battery, they were still troublesome. Crossing the more open ground the piqueting party met with a warm reception as soon as the ascent of the hill commenced, since the summit was strongly held. Just at this stage Chapman noticed Pte. King lying wounded in an exposed position some yards in front of him. With total disregard to the risks involved he crawled out to King and under heavy fire brought him back to safety, receiving as a reminder a bullet through his mess tin. Having brought King to cover, he then assisted in getting him back to camp. Not content with this he returned to the piquet and carried back three sets of equipment with rifles.

Although Chapman cannot rank as one of our notable athletes he has always figured in the Company games. Then at the age of 17, represented the Northampton Institute he competed in the Bantam Weight Championship of London, but did not travel far into the contest. Whilst at the Northampton Institute during a Gymnastic competition his team required 5/8ths of a point out of a total of 300 to secure the trophy, and as last man in the team he was relied upon to gain the advantage. He was successful.

['The Londoner', Vol. 2, No. 3, pg.77.]


National Army Museum Catalogue

  • NAM. 1993-11-87 - 1
    Dog tags; from papers of Cyclist S Chapman, 1/25th (County of London) Cyclist battalion, London Regiment, India 1917-20.

  • NAM. 1993-11-87 - 2
    Proficiency card, 1915-18; from papers of Cyclist S Chapman, 1/25th (County of London) Cyclist battalion, London Regiment, India 1917-20.

  • NAM. 1993-11-87 - 3
    Printed skeleton map, Waziristan FF 1917; from papers of Cyclist S Chapman, 1/25th (County of London) Cyclist battalion, London Regiment, India 1917-20.

  • NAM. 1993-11-87 - 4
    Typescript copy of the ‘Civil and Military Gazette’ 26 June and 12 August 1917, Waziristan Field Force - close of the Mahsud Campaign. Commander in Chief’s order; from papers of Cyclist S Chapman, 1/25th (County of London) Cyclist battalion, London Regiment, India 1917-20.

  • NAM. 1993-11-87 - 5
    Mentioned in despatch certificate, 20 September 1917; from papers of Cyclist S Chapman, 1/25th (County of London) Cyclist battalion, London Regiment, India 1917-20.

  • NAM. 1993-11-87 - 6
    Christmas card for 1917, illustrated with a skeleton map on which Chapman has illustrated where he won the MM. Photograph of Chapman affixed to card; from papers of Cyclist S Chapman, 1/25th (County of London) Cyclist battalion, London Regiment, India 1917-20.

  • NAM. 1993-11-87 - 7
    Certificate in army signalling, Kassauli, 30 November 1918; from papers of Cyclist S Chapman, 1/25th (County of London) Cyclist battalion, London Regiment, India 1917-20.

  • NAM. 1993-11-87 - 8
    AF B2079 discharge certificate, 15 October 1919; from papers of Cyclist S Chapman, 1/25th (County of London) Cyclist battalion, London Regiment, India 1917-20.

  • NAM. 1993-11-87 - 9
    Certificate of medaille militaire, Paris, 15 April 1920; from papers of Cyclist S Chapman, 1/25th (County of London) Cyclist battalion, London Regiment, India 1917-20.

  • NAM. 1993-11-87 - 10
    Mentioned in Despatches Certificate, 18 May 1920; from papers of Cyclist S Chapman, 1/25th (County of London) Cyclist battalion, London Regiment, India 1917-20.

  • NAM. 1993-11-87 - 11
    FC52 final extract of account, 7 December 1920; from papers of Cyclist S Chapman, 1/25th (County of London) Cyclist battalion, London Regiment, India 1917-20.

  • NAM. 1993-11-87 - 12
    Printed, ‘Ten Commandments of the 25th Cyclist Bttn London Regiment’ by ‘Philess’; from papers of Cyclist S Chapman, 1/25th (County of London) Cyclist battalion, London Regiment, India 1917-20.

  • NAM. 1993-11-87 - 13
    Printed ‘Letter to Dear Old England’; from papers of Cyclist S Chapman, 1/25th (County of London) Cyclist battalion, London Regiment, India 1917-20.

  • NAM. 1993-11-87 - 14
    Printed poem, annotated in manuscript ‘Odds and Ends’ by Cyclist A J Perkins, Bangalore, May 1916; from papers of Cyclist S Chapman, 1/25th (County of London) Cyclist battalion, London Regiment, India 1917-20.

  • NAM. 1993-11-87 - 15
    Newspaper cutting about the Amritsar riots, no date; from papers of Cyclist S Chapman, 1/25th (County of London) Cyclist battalion, London Regiment, India 1917-20.

  • NAM. 1993-11-87 - 16
    Newspaper cutting about the badge of 25th County of London (Cyclist) battalion, no date; from papers of Cyclist S Chapman, 1/25th (County of London) Cyclist battalion, London Regiment, India 1917-20.

  • NAM. 1993-11-87 - 17
    Letter from Eric Whittome, to Stanley Chapman regarding reminiscences, 2 Jan 1982. From papers of Cyclist S Chapman, 1/25th (County of London) Cyclist battalion, London Regiment, India 1917-20.


 

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