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Died: 7th June 1917. Killed in Action Messines, Belgium.
Mother: Mary Ann Chapman. nee: Bickham. nee: Jamieson. (1849-19..)
Step Mother: Martha Murgatroyd.
John enlisted with the 2nd Reinforcements, 33rd Battalion AIF on the 31st March 1916 and embarked onboard HMAT A15 "Port Sydney"
at Sydney on the 4th September 1916.
The Army History Unit in Canberra is urgently seeking assistance in identifying NOK descendants of a 33rd Battalion soldier, killed in action at
the Battle of Messines, Belgium in June 1917. The soldiers remains were located during an archaeological dig in November 2008. Based on
investigation, the soldier's possible identity is Private: 1974 John Ernest CHAPMAN of A Company, 33rd Battalion AIF.
Unfortunately Pte Chapman was an only child, whose parents died when he was young, and he was placed in the care of a foster mother. As such,
there appears to be little chance of surviving NOK descendants from that immediate family.
The AHU is therefore looking for NOK stemming from possible brothers and sisters of Pte Chapman's parents - John Chapman and Mary Ann Bickham, who
married at Vegetable Creek, Torrington NSW in 1877, with Pte Chapman being born in 1880. If a family descendant was located, AHU would seek a DNA
sample for identification testing against the Messines soldier's remains, which are set to be interred at an official ceremony in Belgium shortly
after the larger WW I burial ceremony at Fromelles, France.
We think we now have the correct identity of John Chapman's mother - she had been previously married to a William Bickham who had
passed away, and she then married John Chapman senior. Her maiden name (taken from the Bickham marriage certificate) was Mary Ann
Jamieson, born in Shetland, Scotland in about 1849. In particular, AHU would like to locate descendants of Pte Chapman's
mother, who was born Mary Ann Jamieson in about 1849 in Shetland, Scotland.
If anyone thinks they have a lead on a possible family connection would they please contact the AHU investigator, Lieutenant Colonel Paul Vercoe,
at paul.vercoe@gmail.com
John was a single Gold Miner from "Bismuth Mine" Torrington, N.S.W. upon enlistment. His next of kin is recorded as Mrs Martha
Murgabroid, (foster mother) C/O Mr J.J.Green of "Looklee" Martindale Street, Wallsend, N.S.W.
Johns parents John and Mary Ann Chapman were married in 1877 at Vegetable Creek, Torrington N.S.W. Marriage Cert:4672/1877.
Torrington was named after its English counterpart in Devon England. The discovery of the extremely rich Torrington tin lode in 1881
created much excitement but in a very short time the small prospectors had lost control to overseas mining companies, the precursors
of today's multi-nationals. In the 1920s, 500 men were employed at the mines. There were sixteen batteries working, and the community
enjoyed the convenience of five general stores, butcher shop, cafes, bakery, billiard rooms, police station, post office, churches,
hotel and many sporting facilities in Torrington and the two now defunct satellite villages of Tungsten and Bismuth which were both
approximately 7 kilometres north and west of Torrington respectively. Today, there is scarcely any indication that either of the satellite
villages ever existed.
(Northern New England, Examiner, Glen Innes)
(Australian National Archives)
Under Construction 26/02/2010.
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