Name Michael Chappell | Role Historian | |
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Born 14 September 1934 (age 90) ( 1934-09-14 ) Other names Mike Chappell (as writer and illustrator) Occupation Military historian and illustrator |
Michael John William Chappell BEM (born 14 September 1934), better known as Mike Chappell, is an English military historian and illustrator of military books.
Contents
- Early life and education
- Military career
- Writing and illustrating career
- Personal life
- Osprey books written andor illustrated by Chappell
- Other books by Chappell
- References
Early life and education
Chappell comes from an Aldershot family with links to the British Army going back several generations. His maternal grandfather, Pte George Green was among a group of soldiers of the Royal Welch Fusiliers killed in France on 14 September 1915 while laying a signal line to an outpost; he is buried in the Guards Cemetery at Windy Corner near Cuinchy. Mike Chappell's late parents were Samuel Chappell (a Warrant Officer in the Royal Army Service Corps) and Kathleen (née Green). His siblings are Anthony Chappell (born 1936), who served in the Royal Corps of Signals; Anna Chappell (born 1940), and Russell Chappell (born 1944).
As a boy, he attended St. Joseph's Roman Catholic School in Aldershot, the Army School at Blackdown in Hampshire and Guildford Technical College.
Military career
After leaving school, Chappell briefly served a bricklaying apprenticeship with 13 Command Workshop REME. However, finding this not to his liking, in 1952, at age 17, he enlisted as a private in the Royal Hampshire Regiment, a British Army line-infantry regiment, and in 1955, transferred to the Gloucestershire Regiment, another British Army infantry regiment. During his 22-year military career he saw service in Cyprus, Germany, Libya, Malaya, Swaziland, Ulster and various British garrisons.
He retired in 1974 as a Regimental Sergeant Major of the 1st Battalion (Rifle Volunteers) of the Wessex Regiment, a British Army Territorial Army (or volunteer-force) infantry regiment.
Writing and illustrating career
He first began painting military subjects for his own interest in 1968, turning professional when he left the army. His many years of military service actually wearing the kit and using the weapons give him a unique insight in his illustrations. Consequently, Chappell has gained worldwide popularity as a military illustrator, having written and illustrated over 100 books, many for Osprey Publishing.
Personal life
Formerly a resident of Aldershot, Chappell now lives in the village of Malras in France with his second wife, Marilyn. His marriage to his first wife, Edna, was dissolved. He was awarded the British Empire Medal in the Queen's Birthday Honours List on 15 June 2013.