Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Francis Ernest Chappell: A Biography

World War One Soldier

Life Before the War:
Chappell’s life began in 1895 when he was born. He was born with no deformities and he was very healthy. He was born in Norwood, South Australia and grew up there with his mother, Ellen Annie Chappell, and his father, Herbert Chappell. The house he grew up in, 11 Willis Street Norwood is still there today. Not much is known about his early life and how he grew up as a child but we do get more of an insight of when he was a bit older and just before he joined the war. Chappell’s occupation was a station hand and he was only 21 when he signed up in 1916.

The Trouble of Signing Up:

You may think signing up and going to war is an easy and quick thing to do, but it is quite the opposite. Before being able to be sent off to wherever he was going, he had to complete multiple pages of questions, had to go through medical check-ups and complete more paperwork. He had to write down things such as his relationship status, appearance details, what religion he was, if he was natural born, his next of kin, if he had been an apprentice before, if he had served in the military and so much more. From only one page, we learnt that he was single, had no kids, was of Presbyterian religion, and was natural born and that he had not been an apprentice or had served in the military before. As far as physical appearance goes, he had “medium” skin, blue eyes, brown hair and had no distinctive marks on his face. Other information that he had to fill out was his weight, 136 lbs (approximately 62 kg), and his height, 5”6 ½ ft. As for the doctor’s visits, he was in perfect health condition and his dental hygiene was almost perfect except for some fillings.

His Journey to the War and Where He Went:

His journey started off on the 17th January 1917 where he embarked on a ship called the RMS Omrah. He later disembarked on the 27th of March and then marched into Draft Depot from Australia. On the 14th of April, Chappell went to France, Pt Stone, ex Draft Depot, Pt Down and England, where he proceeded to march in ex England. This is where he started his first job in the war,  with the 1st Tunnelling Company. Chappell continued to tunnel (where the soldier dug tunnels underground to try and get to the other sides trenches) for 49 days; from 5th May 1917 – 21st June 1917.

On the 21st on June, he marched out to the 1st Aust Field bakery and transferred there on the same day. The next year, on the 7th of March 1918, Chappell proceeded on leave in the U.K. and then re-joined from his leave on the 31st of March 1918. The next year, on the 1st of January 1919, Chappell was appointed to  2 Corporal which means that he would be the commander of a section of 10 men in an Infantry Battalion. On the 12th of March, 1919, Chappell marched out for Demob (demobilised troops), and then transferred to England on the 18th of March, 1919. On the 3rd of July, 1919, He marched in ex 1st A.D.H and 12 days later, marched out to A.D.H. The last thing Chappell did in the war before he went back home was march in the C.T.D on the 15th of July 1919. Then, on the 9th of August 1919, he embarked on his journey back home. Finally, on the 24th of September, Chappell disembarked back home in Adelaide, South Australia.  

His Injuries and Medical records:

There is little to no information on what injuries Chappell would’ve faced on World War One therefore there is no record of what happened to him. All we know is that he was admitted into hospital in Dulford on the 19th of March, 1919, and stayed there for a total period of 115 days and then left to C.T.D.

His Life after the War:

As to what happened to Chappell after the war, much is unknown. The only fact about what happened after the war was that he was brought back home and touched South Australian soil on the 24th of September, 1919.

Awards:

As for awards, Chappell received 2 medals for his time in the war. He was also issued a British War Medal and a Victory medal. The British War Medal was to signify those who served at sea during 1917/1918. It was also given to those who looked after the sick and wounded. The Victory medal, although it’s quite self-explanatory, is to commemorate the victory of the Allied Forces over the Central Powers. The Victory medal was given to those who entered a theatre of war between the times of 5th of August 1914 and the 11th of November, 1918.

ANZAC Spirit :

Chappell, during, before and after his time in war showed tremendous amounts of his Anzac spirit. He showed great courage going into war and risking his life for others and for his country. He demonstrated time after time the good in him, ingenuity, and endurance and of course, mateship. The fact that he not only put his entire life, entire future on the line to serve his country and  lead us with pride manifests in the idea of him having complete and true Anzac spirit.