Robert Henry Chapman

This story and photo is shared by the Trust with kind permission from Karen Wright, amateur historian based in Whittlesford, Cambridgeshire

Robert Henry Chapman was a Marine, CH/X 114599, aged 19 years and 1 month when he was killed on D-Day, 6th June 1944. (CH/X indicates he was recruited for hostilities only).

He was born on 2nd May 1925, the son of Reuben Arthur and Louisa Emma Chapman. Robert was the youngest of 4 children having 2 sisters, Millicent Louisa and Olive May who both later married and left the village. Sadly, his older brother, William Arthur George, died in 1948 aged 28. His parents and brother are buried in the village cemetery. His father’s sister was Alice who married Percy Overhill, who was killed in WW1. Alice and Percy’s son, Geoffrey, joined the RAF, and was killed in 1943 so of the 8 village residents who died in WW2 these 2 came from the same family.

Robert’s grandfather, Reuben, purchased “Sheads” in the High Street in 1890 where the family were still living at the outbreak of WW2. Having moved to Whittlesford from Radwinter, Essex, between 1861 and 1871, the family initially lived in Orchard Terrace. In the book “Whittlesford Recalled” originally published in 1977, there is a photograph of “Sheads” stating that this is “where the first Co-op was started by Reuben Chapman”. The earlier Chapmans were blacksmiths but, according to the 1939 Register, Robert’s father, Arthur Reuben, was a farmer and carrier in addition to being a Special Constable and Robert was a 14 year old newspaper boy. He attended the village primary school from 16 September 1929 leaving on 29 July 1936 to move to Sawston Village College where he is commemorated on a memorial plaque. At the time of his death he was too young to be eligible to vote.

Robert had his 18th birthday on 2nd May 1943 and joined the Marines soon afterward. He had previously worked at Pearce Mill in Kings Mill Lane, Great Shelford, a small water driven mill producing flour, grinding corn from local farmers and supplying shops etc. Robert’s job there is unknown.

Initially he was posted to HMS Copra, a shore-based frigate used for admin purposes for men who had not yet been assigned to a ship. As planning for D-Day increased he was posted to HMS Turtle, another shore-based frigate, but one that was used for training personnel who would be part of Operation Neptune, the seaborne assault phase of Operation Overlord. Once his training was complete, he was then posted to 698 LCM Flotilla. The LCM or Landing Craft Mechanised could carry a tank, up to 100 men or a large quantity of cargo. Due to the size the LCM would have made its own way across the Channel rather than being carried on one of the larger landing ships. The flotilla was part of Force G which landed troops on Gold Beach.

According to the eye-witness report of 2 survivors, Robert was on LCM 193, part of the 698 Flotilla. At approximately 9am on 6th June 1944, they were approaching King Red Beach, part of Gold Beach, and whilst trying to run onto the beach to unload beach roadway the craft hit a mine and sank. The crew were taken off the LCM by an LCA and whilst trying to get clear the LCA blew up and Robert was injured. He died of his wounds later in the day. Initially buried at Ver-sur-Mer he was reburied in Bayeux Cemetery on 3rd February 1945, Grave XIV.L.13.