Chaplin,+Herbert

Sapper, 155 Field Company, 16th Division Royal Engineers. Service no. 146092 Born in Haworth on 23rd August 1886. Educated at Haworth Board School. (pictured below at school, aged about 13 years of age): Second picture in uniform is probably from 1916:
 * Herbert Chaplin**



Herbert followed in his Father’s footsteps and trained as a carpenter and joiner. He worked for Briggs and Duxbury of Barnoldswick, helping to build Edmondson’s Fernbank Cotton Mill. Aged 39, he attested for WW1 service in December 1915 at Keighley under the Derby Scheme, where men volunteered for service and then returned home until they were called up. Herbert didn’t have to wait long and joined the Royal Engineers as a ‘Group 12 recruit’ in January 1916, continuing his Army training as a ‘skilled joiner’. We know he embarked for France in July 1916, serving overseas for 2 years 46 days. During this time he had ten days leave in September 1917 to marry Annie Chaplin, living with his parents at 10, Ann Street, Brow in Haworth. Returning to the war in France, he received a gunshot wound to his right hand in September 1918 and he was treated at Carrington Hospital in Nottingham where he sent home some pictures of the nursing staff. His ‘Blighty Wound’ was serious enough to send him home permanently as ‘No longer physically fit for war service’ and so 146092 Sapper H. Chaplin was discharged in November 1918 with a weekly war pension of 13 shillings and 9 pence. He was awarded the ‘Silver War Badge’ which was worn to show war injury, because of the stigma sometimes attached to men who were of service age but not serving in the armed forces. Herbert later worked at Ebor Mill in Haworth. Annie died in 1951 aged 64 and Herbert died in 1975 at 89. They lay together at Haworth Cemetery on Penistone Hill.

Brother in law of Enoch Chaplin.