Lance Corporal John Chamberlain

Born: 18th November 1878

Date of Death: 26th September 1916

Age: 37

Lance Corporal John Chamberlain was born on 18th November 1878 in Upavon, Wiltshire, to William Chamberlain, a labourer, and his wife, Elizabeth. He was baptised on 16th March 1879 at the Market Lavington Primitive Methodist Station.

In the 1881 census, John is recorded as having an older sister, Elizabeth, aged four. At that time, his father William worked as an agricultural labourer.

By 1891, John had two younger brothers and two younger sisters, the youngest of whom was a newborn and not yet named. At the age of 12, John was already working as a ploughboy, while his father William had become a carter on a farm.

In 1901, John himself was working as a carter on a farm, while the family remained in Upavon. William had returned to working as an agricultural labourer.

By 1911, the family was still living in Upavon. William continued as a labourer on a farm, while John and his brother Henry were both working as under carters. Another brother, Robert, was a shepherd. Of the seven children born to the family, five were still alive by this time.

It is unclear when John Chamberlain enlisted in the army. Initially, he served with the Hampshire Regiment before transferring to the 5th Battalion of the Dorsetshire Regiment, where he held the rank of Lance Corporal. He was killed in action on 26th September 1916 at the age of 37.

The 5th Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment

The 5th Battalion landed at Suvla Bay on the Gallipoli Peninsula on 11th July 1915. Over the next six months, the battalion suffered relatively light casualties in battle but endured heavy losses due to sickness, a significant challenge in this campaign. In September 1915, 60 men were admitted to hospital with illness, and by mid-October, the number rose to 150.

After being evacuated in January 1916, the battalion was redeployed to Egypt, where they spent six months constructing defences against a Turkish offensive that never materialised.

In July 1916, the 5th Battalion was sent to France, joining VI Corps in the Third Army. Although the Somme offensive began on 1st July, the battalion initially operated in a quieter sector south of Arras. By September, they had moved south to Mouquet Farm, near Thiepval.

The battle at Mouquet Farm proved devastating. The farm was partially held by German forces, who occupied a vast dugout beneath it. During the attack, two-thirds of the battalion were either killed or wounded. The harsh winter of 1916–1917 saw further heavy losses during an attack near Beaucour

Lance Corporal John Chamberlain, 22087, 5th Bn., Dorsetshire Regiment who died on 26 September 1916 is remembered with honour on the Thiepval Memorial.