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Death
of Regiment's VC Hero
It is with much regret that we announce the death of Ted Chapman aged
82 at his home in Wales on Sunday 3 February.
| Ted was awarded the Victoria Cross for outstanding gallantry
on 2nd April 1945. After crossing the River Rhine, the British 11th
Armoured Division moved into a bridgehead position and began the advance
into Germany. The 3rd Momouthshires - Corporal Ted Chapmen's battalion
-- was ordered into the Teutoburgerwald, a wooded range east of the
Dortmund-Ems Canal as heavy opposition had been encountered. Corporal
Chapman's section came under heavy machine-gun fire causing many casualties.
Ted ordered his men to take cover and went forward alone with a Bren
Gun, mowing down the enemy at point-blank range, forcing them to retire.
His section isolated, Corporal Chapman again halted the enemy advances
with his Bren Gun, at one time firing it over his shoulder, to cover
those bringing him more ammunition. He then carried his company commander,
Captain Mountford, who was laying wounded in the open, but on the
way back to safety Captain Mountford was killed and Corporal Chapman
was wounded in the leg. He was presented with the VC personally by
King George VI at Buckingham Place on 31st July 1945. |
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Returning to civilian life after the war, Ted worked for ICI Fibres
at Pontypool until his retirement in 1960. He enlisted into the
Territorial Army in 1948, and rose to the rank of Company Sergeant
Major in the 2nd Battalion The Monmouthshire Regiment. It was announced
in the Queen's Coronation Honours List of 1953 that he had been
awarded the British Empire Medal for his services to the volunteer
forces. Over the years, Ted Chapman attended many of the reunions
of the VC and GC Association. We shall miss him.
Two members of the Regiment were award the Victoria Cross for their
actions in WW2. Major Sir Tasker Watkins VC GBE who served with
2/5th Battalion The Welch Regiment survives.
Read
more on The Times Online...
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(Colour Photo shows Ted Chapman VC with The Hon Nicholas
Soames MP,
the Minister of State for the Armed Forces taken at Cardiff Castle in
1996 - Crown Copyright)
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