- SURNAME
Chant
- FORENAME
Stuart Whitemore
- UNIT
5 Commando
- RANK
Lieutenant
- NUMBER
105159
- AWARD
Military Cross
- PLACE
St Nazaire 1942
- ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit Gordon Highlanders
born 11.3.1917
educated Mill Hill School
London Stock Exchange
Artists Rifles (Private)
commissioned Gordon Highlanders October 1939
Commandos October 1940
WIA and POW March 1942 St Nazaire
repatriated 1943
discharged 1945
joined Rank Organisation 1945
recalled to Army as liaison officer,SHAPE,Paris (awarded O.B.E. 1952)
retired 1955 as Lieutenant Colonel
director of public relations C.T. Bowring
author "St Nazaire Commando" (1985)
married Ann Forbes-Sempill 1948 (Baroness of Sempill 1965) (3 children)
assumed surname of Chant-Sempill 1965
died 27.7.1991
Kearn Graveyard, Rhynie, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
CITATION:
Military Cross : On 28 March, 1942, during a Commando Raid at ST. NAZAIRE, France.
Lieut. Chant was in charge of a Demolition Party whose duty it was to destroy part of the Pumping Station by the Dry Dock. Although wounded in the hands, Lieut. Chant carried out his task successfully, despite being hampered by his hands being slippery with blood. He remained in the Pumping Station, helping to carry out the remainder of the demolitions and showing fine leadership to the others carrying out their tasks, until all were completed. Subsequently, in the street fighting he again displayed leadership of the highest order until he was wounded again, this time in the knee, causing him to be taken prisoner.
During the whole of this action, his determination to carry out his task and his dash under fire is worthy of high recognition.
ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE : Lieut-Colonel Chant has bow been at SHAPE for three years; two of them in Public Relations and one with the staff of the Executive National Military Representative.
His work has been uniformly excellent and he has made a contribution well beyond that to be expected from an officer of his rank.
His duties have been principally the planning and execution of major Public Relations projects, involving important dignitaries, civil and military, of all nationalities. He has carried out there duties with notable success.
He has made a name for himself as a tactful, experienced and impartial British officer, who conducts himself with dignity and worthily represents the service to which he belongs.
His war service was marked with gallantry as a Commando and distinction as a staff officer.
In his new field of delicate international work he has proved himself to be equally deserving of recognition. He has already been recommended on two previous occasions.
Place : SHAPE
Date of Action : Apr 1951 to Mar 1954
How Employed : On the staff of the Executive National Military Representatives
Lieut. Chant was in charge of a Demolition Party whose duty it was to destroy part of the Pumping Station by the Dry Dock. Although wounded in the hands, Lieut. Chant carried out his task successfully, despite being hampered by his hands being slippery with blood. He remained in the Pumping Station, helping to carry out the remainder of the demolitions and showing fine leadership to the others carrying out their tasks, until all were completed. Subsequently, in the street fighting he again displayed leadership of the highest order until he was wounded again, this time in the knee, causing him to be taken prisoner.
During the whole of this action, his determination to carry out his task and his dash under fire is worthy of high recognition.
ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE : Lieut-Colonel Chant has bow been at SHAPE for three years; two of them in Public Relations and one with the staff of the Executive National Military Representative.
His work has been uniformly excellent and he has made a contribution well beyond that to be expected from an officer of his rank.
His duties have been principally the planning and execution of major Public Relations projects, involving important dignitaries, civil and military, of all nationalities. He has carried out there duties with notable success.
He has made a name for himself as a tactful, experienced and impartial British officer, who conducts himself with dignity and worthily represents the service to which he belongs.
His war service was marked with gallantry as a Commando and distinction as a staff officer.
In his new field of delicate international work he has proved himself to be equally deserving of recognition. He has already been recommended on two previous occasions.
Place : SHAPE
Date of Action : Apr 1951 to Mar 1954
How Employed : On the staff of the Executive National Military Representatives
WEB LINKS:
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D7369801 (MC)https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D7626840 (OBE)
http://www.commandoveterans.org/StuartChant5Commando
FINDAGRAVE:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/186835086/stuart-whitemore-chant-sempill
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