Charles Chellapah

Chellapah then travelled to Saigon to report on the Vietnam War in the mid-1960s, but was killed by a claymore mine on 14 February 1966. Chellapah was one of three Singaporean journalists that were killed during the war. His photographs were featured in an exhibition that honoured journalists killed during the Vietnam War and his name is on the Reporters Memorial in Bayeux, France.

• Name — Charles Chellapah • Birth Name — Chellapah s/o Canagaratnam • Born — 2 May 1940 • Birthplace — Singapore, Straits Settlements • Died — 14 February 1966 • Place of death — Củ Chi, Saigon, South Vietnam • Death Cause — Killed by claymore mine • Other Names — * Charles • Charlie • Occupation — Photojournalist

Chellapah was born on 2 May 1940, the fourth of ten children. Of Sri Lankan descent, Chellapah's father worked as a water district supervisor in the City Council. Chellapah was born in Singapore, when it was a part of the Straits Settlements. In a 1997 Straits Times article, photographer Tay Kay Chin initially reported that Chellapah was born in the Dutch East Indies, but corrected himself in 2020. Known to be adventurous in his youth, Chellapah studied at Monk's Hill Primary School and Gan Eng Seng School. After completing his secondary education, he joined the Singapore Free Press as a sports reporter and usually reported on soccer matches. He additionally taught himself photography and became a freelance photographer. Chellapah then moved to Malaya, working for The Malayan Times in Kuala Lumpur and subsequently for the Sabah Daily Express in Sabah. He was also a sportsman and participated in local Grand Prix races. Prior to covering the Vietnam War, Chellapah also worked in Hong Kong. While there, he grew interested in covering the war and joined the Associated Press (AP) as a freelance photographer.

Chellapah arrived in Saigon, South Vietnam, on 21 January, in either 1965 or 1966. He followed American soldiers through jungles filled with Viet Cong (VC) tunnels. His parents were surprised to hear that he had travelled to Vietnam to cover the war. He took close-up photographs of casualties and combat, prompting his AP photo editor Horst Faas to warn him to be more cautious. On 14 February, Chellapah accompanied American soldiers to Củ Chi, northwest of Saigon, on a road-clearing mission. Củ Chi's dense forests were known to have multiple VC snipers and tunnels, and was termed "Hell's Half Acre". During the mission, a VC claymore mine was set off, injuring many. Chellapah, the company's commander, and a medic went to tend to the wounded before a second mine exploded, killing everyone instantly. The last photograph he took was of an American soldier holding a fellow wounded soldier. Faas reported Chellapah's death to the company's president.

The following works and productions are recorded by name or by count. Recorded with the occupation photographer. It is also recorded that charles Chellapah is recorded with the occupation war photographer. It is also recorded that charles Chellapah is recorded with the gender male. Born on 14 March 1939. It is also recorded that charles Chellapah is recorded as human. The record continues: charles Chellapah died on 14 February 1966.