Melvin Charles Chapman

When the war broke out, I wanted to join, so I consulted them there and I wanted to get overseas fairly early so they sent me to Halifax. I joined the No. 22 [Canadian] Field Ambulance [Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps] at that time. That was on the 4 September 1939. So I was then with the No. 22 Field Ambulance for some time and was given duty at the Cogswell Street [Military] Hospital. I became chief clerk there eventually, and went overseas with the No. 7 [Canadian] General Hospital in 1941. From 1941, we sailed on the [HMS] Andes, an Australian ship. I remember we had mutton on the ship for 14 days; and we landed in Liverpool and through transfers, and one thing or another, we wound up at Marston Green, where we set up as a hospital. I was then a sergeant and was on administrative duties in the orderly room there, and we had various duties there. After a while, there was an order come through to recommend people to go through for commissions; and I was one of the ones that was sent forward, and did training down in the south of England in Borden [Army Camp], I believe. Then afterwards, came back to Canada and attended [No. 30 Officers’ Training Centre] Brockville. So in Brockville, I got my commission and this was just around Christmas time and we were sent out to [No. 110 Canadian Army (Basic) Training Centre] Vernon, B.C., where we did our post training and got our second pip [decoration denoting rank] then. After that, I come back and while waiting to go overseas, I got sick or something and they lowered my category; and I was sent to [RCAF Station] Debert air force training thing there. So we were instructed to give the airmen instructions on what to do after they were shot down and things like this; and how to handle themselves on the ground. Then I was later transferred to [Camp] Aldershot [A14 Infantry Basic Training Centre], where I was on administrative duties in the training company. And that’s where I was until the end of the war, I think.