Major, Colin Archibald Heron CAMPBELL [MiD]
Aged 37
Queen's South Africa medal- clasps for Cape Colony-Transvaal-Laings Nek
King's South Africa medal - clasps for South Africa 1901-South Africa 1902
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Colin Archibald Heron Campbell was born in Portsmouth (Portsea Island Q2-1880 2B:505) on 27th March 1880, son of Lt.Col. Donald Archibald and Charlotte CAMPBELL(née ROBERTS).
1881 census...Aged 1, he was at Holme Slack House, Fishwick, Preston with his father Donald A CAMPBELL [30] Captain 108th Foot, born East Indies and his mother Charlotte [27] born Norwich. 1891 census...Aged 11, he was at The Village, Stonham Aspal with his father Donald A CAMPBELL [40] (Lt Colonel, Infantry, born East Indies; his mother Charlotte [35]born Norwich; sisters Augusta C.L. [9] born Ireland and Victoria D.C. [4] born Padiham, Lancashire; brother Duncan D H [7] born Camberley, Surrey 1901 census...Aged 21, he was in South Africa in the Royal Garrison Artillery. As 2nd Lieutenant, he left Tilbury on 28 Apr 1900 on the Orotavia, and returned from Durban on the Nubia on August 5th 1902. 1911 census...Aged 31, single a Captain, Royal Artillery, he was boarding at 8 Nightingale Place, Woolwich with John and Martha PECK (invalid Army pensioner and his boarding house wife) At probate his will has his address as Gothic House, Clare,Suffolk. From the medal index card is appears his father, by 1923, had moved to Wickham Hall, Eye. His brother Duncan was killed serving in France with the Royal Field Artillery in 1917. see here |
On the family memorial plaque above (Ipswich, Holy Trinity) is inscribed, on the left hand panel:-
COLIN ARCHIBALD HERON CAMPBELL
BORN 27-3-80,"KILLED IN ACTION" AT YPRES 29 SEPT.1917 (ST.MICHAEL AND ALL ANGELS)
LIES IN YPRES RESERVOIR NORTH CEMETERY
PASSED FROM WOOLWICH TO ROYAL ARTILLERY, DEC.1899
SERVED
BOER WAR 1900-1902. 2 MEDALS AND 5 CLASPS
1908, FOUR YEARS ADJUTANT, ORDNANCE COLLEGE, WOOLWICH
1912-1914, ASST DISTRICT COMMISSIONER UGANDA, RECALLED OCT.1914 FOR
WORLD WAR
COMMANDED AS CAPTAIN AND MAJOR, BATTERIES B 50 AND C 296 R.F.A.
ALSO, FOR 6 MONTHS AS TEMPORARY LT.COLONEL, 45 BRIGADE R.F.A.
"DEEPEST SYMPATHY WITH YOU IN LOSS OF YOUR GALLANT SON"
RT.HON. E.G.GVTHE EARL OF DERBY, KG GCVO CH SEC OF STATE FOR WAR
"HE PARTICULARLY DISTINGUISHED HIMESLF BY HIS UNTIRING DEVOTION TO DUTY AND HIS ABSOLUTE FEARLESSNESS"
B.H.SHAW-STEWART LT.COL 296 BRIG. R.F.A.
"HAS ENDEARED HIMSELF TO ALL BY HIS KINDNESS AND CONSIDERATION FOR THOS EUNDER HIS COMMAND. HAS SHOWN
THE GREATEST GALLANTRY IN CONTROLLING HIS BATTERY UNDER HEAVY SHELL FIRE"
J.W.STIRLING BRIG-GENERAL C.R.A. LIV DIV
"HAS BEEN REOMMENDED FOR D.S.O.....HIS MEN WORSHIPPED HIM"
J.P.WILLIAMS LT.COL. 296 R.F.A.
"I ABSOLUTELY NEVER KNEW A FINER MAN AND BETTER COMRADE. WORKED ON SOMME DAY AND NIGHT UNDER MOST DIFFICULT CONDITIONS
AND DANGERS" A.R.KENWORTHY, CAPTAIN B 50 R.F.A.
"AT LOOS BY NIGHT UNDER FIRE, BROUGHT IN GERMAN HEAVY CANNON FROM FOSSE 8"
"WHEN WOUNDED 22 JULY HE REMAINED IN CONTROL OF HIS BATTERY UNDER HEAVY ACCURATE H.E.SHELL FIRE AND
HELPED TO DIG OUT A MAN BURIED IN A DEEP TRENCH"
THE FIRST MAN OF LIXTH DIVISION TO BE RECOMMENDED FOR A DECORATION
The centre panel details his father and family ancestry, the right hand panel is for his brother Duncan (detailed on his own page on this
site).
The emblem mentioned on the card is the emblem for his Mentioned in Despatches in 1915
photo: Roy Beardsworth
click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details