8433, Lance Corporal, 1st Battalion. Bedfordshire Regiment.
Missing In Action on the 4th September 1916 aged 34.
Thiepval Memorial, Somme.
David was born in Aston. He arrived in France with his Battalion on the 16th August 1914 and served almost continuously on the Western Front.
During the morning of 4th September 1916, British artillery persistently shelled the line his Battalion were holding, and in spite of several reports, matters remained the same. Finally, two of the forward trenches had to be evacuated as the men were all being buried. In doing so, the enemy opened up with machine guns on them and there were several casualties. Quite apart from its moral effect some 30 men were killed or wounded by our own guns, one of whom was Lance Corporal David Chalkley.
He has no know grave and his name is recorded on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France.(Pier and Face 2 C )
Medal Entitlement: 1914 Star & Clasp, British War Medal & Victory Medal
