Archibald Charles Henry Chappell’s army service record revealed that he was born in Blacknest, to Emily J. Chappell, in 1897; his father’s name was not recorded.

He enlisted in Winchester in May 1915 and was placed on the Army Reserve List. At the time of his enlistment he was working as a gardener and living in Lower Isington, in Binsted, with his grandfather, Andrew Chappell.

At the end of November 1916, following basic training, Private Chappell embarked at Folkestone for Boulogne. Initially, he served with 8th Middlesex Regiment but was later transferred to the 4th Entrenching Battalion in Étaples. In April 1917 he was transferred to the 1st Middlesex Regiment and was killed in action during the Third Battle of Ypres, Passchendaele.

TF/242434 Private Chappell died on 26th September 1917 at the age of 19. Awarded the British War and Victory Medals he is listed on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium (Panel 113- 115).

Source: “The Remembered Ones of the Great War”, 2014, The Alton and Villages Local History Forum (with permission)