Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of John Chapman a canal labourer, born in the October quarter of 1860 in Kilby, Leicestershire and baptised on the 27th December 1860 in the Church of St. Mary Magdalene, Kilby (son of William Chapman and Charlotte Tyler) and his wife Sarah Ann Chapman (nee Moore, married on the 7th October 1886 in the Church of St. Mary Magdalene, Kilby), born in the July quarter of 1858 in Husbands Bosworth, Leicestershire and baptised on the 10th September 1858 in All Saint’s Church, Husbands Bosworth (daughter of Thomas Moore, 1831 and Sarah Moore, 1832). William Thomas, a schoolboy, was born in the April quarter of 1887 in Kilby Bridge, Leicestershire and baptised on the 29th May 1887 in All Saint’s Church, Husbands Bosworth, his siblings were, John George, a schoolboy, born in the April quarter of 1888 and baptised on the 22nd December 1889 in the Church of St. Mary Magdalene, Kilby and Arthur Edward, born in the April quarter of 1889 and baptised on the 22nd December 1889 in the Church of St. Mary Magdalene, Kilby the latter two siblings were both born in Kilby Bridge, Leicestershire, in April 1891 the family home was at Main Street, Kilby. In March 1901 William was employed as a canal horse driver and was residing in the family home at Canal Lock House, Welford Road, East Wigston, Leicestershire, together with father, a canal lock keeper, his mother and siblings, John George, a plough boy, Arthur Edward, Harry, born in the April quarter of 1892 in Kilby, Cecil, born in the July quarter of 1895, Ernest Tyler, born in the April quarter of 1898 and Ellen Kathleen, born on the 26th June 1900, the latter three siblings were all born in Wigston. In April 1911 William was employed as a farm labourer and was residing in the family home at Lock House, Kilby Bridge, together with his father, a canal labourer, his mother and siblings, John, a farm labourer, Arthur, a biscuit maker, Harry, a farm labourer, Cecil a biscuit maker, Ernest and Ellen. His brother, Cecil fell in action on the 13th October 1915 and Arthur Edward fell in action on the 2nd February 1917.
On receiving the news that her third and last son had fallen in action his mother Sarah took her own life by jumping into a canal lock on the 8th May 1917.
William’s army service enlistment documents do not survive, therefore the currently available information pertaining to his military service has been obtained from the following sources: - 1921 HMSO Publication, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914 - 1919, WW1 Service Medal and Award Rolls, Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects, WW1 Medal Rolls Index Cards, WW1 Pension Ledgers and Index Cards and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Registers.
Enlisted/Attested in Leicester into the Regular Army, date not known.
Joined. At place and date not known.
Posted. To Hussars of the Line, date not known.
Allotted the Regimental Service number 14041.
Transferred. To Dorsetshire Regt. Pte., place and date not known.
Allotted the Regimental Service number 14012.
First entered the theatre of war in the Balkans 15/10/15.
Attached. To 7th Bn. Royal Munster Fusiliers. Pte., place and date not known.
Died of wounds on the 23/10/16.
Buried in Guvesne Cemetery.
Body exhumed 1921. Reburied in Mikra British Cemetery, Kalamaria, Thessalonika, Greece.
Awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
In the event of his death, William nominated his father, John as his sole legatee.
MILITARY NOTE: William served with the 7th Battalion of the Royal Munster Fusiliers from his first entering the theatre of war on the 15th October 1915, the 7th Battalion had sailed from Suvla Bay, Gallipoli to Mudros on the 2nd October 1915, then sailed for Salonika, thus William had never served in Gallipoli, but would have joined his Battalion in Salonika. The 3rd Battalion Dorsetshire Regiment never saw overseas service and was stationed from June 1915 at Wyke Regis where it was the Portland Garrison Battalion. William was originally buried in a cemetery at Guvesne, but his body was exhumed and reinterred in Mikra British Cemetery when the Imperial War Graves Commission commenced to concentrate the graves from the many smaller cemeteries that existed in the area.