War Office, 13th July, 1945.
The KING has been graciously pleased to approve the award of the
VICTORIA CROSS to: —
No. 4080657 Corporal Edward Thomas CHAPMAN, The Monmouthshire Regiment
(Belfast)
On 2nd April, 1945, a Company of the Monmouthshire Regiment crossed
the Dortmund-Ems canal and was ordered to assault the ridge of the Teutoberger Wald, which dominates the surrounding country. This ridge is
steep, thickly wooded and is ideal defensive country. It was, moreover,
defended by a battalion of German officer cadets and their instructors,
all of them picked men and fanatical Nazis. Corporal Chapman was
advancing with his section in single file along a narrow track, when the
enemy suddenly opened fire with machine guns at short range, inflicting
heavy casualties and causing some confusion. Corporal Chapman
immediately ordered his section to take cover and, seizing the Bren gun,
he advanced alone, firing the gun from his hip, and mowed down the enemy
at point blank range, forcing them to retire in disorder. At this point,
however, his Company was ordered to withdraw but Corporal Chapman and
his section were still left in their advanced position, as the order
could not be got forward to them. The enemy then began to close up to
Corporal Chapman and his isolated section and, under cover of intense
machine gun fire, they made determined charges with the bayonet.
Corporal Chapman again rose with his Bren gun to meet the assaults and
on each occasion halted their advance. He had now nearly run out of
ammunition. Shouting to his section for more bandoliers, he dropped into
a fold in the ground and covered those bringing up the ammunition by
lying on his back and firing the Bren gun over his shoulder. A party of
Germans made every effort to eliminate him with grenades, but with
reloaded magazine he closed with them and once again drove the enemy
back with considerable casualties. During the withdrawal of his Company,
the Company Commander had been severely wounded and left lying in the
open a short distance from Corporal Chapman. Satisfied that his section
was now secure, at any rate for the moment, he went out alone under
withering fire and carried his Company Commander for 50 yards to
comparative safety. On the way a sniper hit the officer again, wounding
Corporal Chapman in the hip and, when he reached our lines, it was
discovered that the officer had been killed. In spite of his wound,
Corporal Chapman refused to be evacuated and went back to his Company
until the position was fully restored two hours later. Throughout the
action Corporal Chapman displayed outstanding gallantry and superb
courage. Single-handed he repulsed the attacks of well-led, determined
troops and gave his battalion time to reorganise on a vital piece of
ground overlooking the only bridge across the canal. His. magnificent
bravery played a very large part in the capture of this vital ridge and
in the successful development of subsequent operations.London Gazette, 10th July, 1945,
second supplement 13th July.
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