Current Information:

Born-Southgate

On 22nd February, 1915, the 3rd Royal Fusiliers battalion of 85 Brigade, 28th Division moved into trenches at Kemmel in Belgium where they remained until relieved on 26th February. The battalion diary recorded that it was cold and wet but does not go into any details about casualties so it is not known how David Chapman was killed on 25th February. The attrition rate among British soldiers on the Western Front was on average 300 each day and 60% of these were as a result of shellfire. When not involved in an actual battle it was either shell fire or a sniper’s bullet that caused most deaths and injuries.