207370 RSM. Thomas Barber Chapman Welch Guards from:London My father Thomas Chapman was with the Welch Guards left behind at Dunkirk. He only once ever talked about it and then without much information. It seems he travelled by train into Spain and there he got a ship back to England. He had joined prior to the war but I am not sure of the date.
Having returned he was to spend the rest of the war and some years after at Pirbright. Again there is little information. It would seem his time there was interesting as he was up and down the ranks. He did reach the rank of Regimental Sergeant Major and I have one document giving that. He left as a sergeant.
The only information I had was he was there at the same time as RSM Britton and when he was on radio or television my father would give some anacdotes about him. The one I remember was about Pirbright which was set on a racecourse. Brittons eyesight was outstanding as he could witness something happening across the other side of the racecourse. On top of this his voice (for which he is rightly famous) could be heard and understood at some considerable distance.
My father died in 1979 and took his secrets with him. Can anyone fill in any of the huge gaps or give any history of the times?
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