Australians in the Boer War
Oz-Boer Database Project



Acknowledgements Dedication Main Page Main Sources Medals Memorials Contributed Information Progress Search Database Site Map Units



Full Record

Hint: This site is intended as a search aid - not a definitive source. It is essentially an index to documents that seem to relate to this person plus a very brief precis of relevant elements. Sources often conflict and I also flag things with a ? when I am unsure. So if the information below is important to you, then please check the original sources to see what else they contain (and in case I have inadvertantly introduced transcription and/or precising errors). There can be additional information that was not included in the database for both space and copyright reasons.


 

Surname CAMPBELL
Given Name(s) or Initial(s) John
Regimental Number
RankLieutenant
Unit Name 1st West Australia Mounted Infantry
StateWA
Extracts and Comments
(from Sources as shown)

Murray: Commanded Maxim Gun Section, Captain OC 6th Contingent 8.3.1901, Mentioned in Despatches 8.7.1901 Queen's South Africa medal and 4 clasps.
Source:# 142 wrote 1910 history of WA Contingents.
B5165: formerly Lt. No.1 Fd.Bty. Perth WA.
URL1: ?at 1.1901 welcome home in Annandale NSW for Tpr. GE WILLSON of 2WAMI.
URL2: civil servant aged 23 from Scot., served in 1Fd. Bty. WA.
URL3: It is understood in Perth that the Commandant, Colonel CHIPPENDALL, has recommended that three of the commissions in the Imperial Army offered to Western Australia should be given to Lieutenant PARKER, Lieutenant CAMPBELL and Sergeant NORTHCOTT, who are now [c4.1900] on service in South Africa.
URL4: It is stated, though not offically, that Lieut. Fred BELL VC, has been given the command 6th the Western Australian section of the First Federal Contingent. The force numbering 68 strong, went out in the ss Manchester Merchant with Lieuts. DAVIS and PRETTY as subalterns. It is also mentioned that the rank of captain has been given BELL. The latter gained his VC for gallantry at Brakpan, when, under a heavy cross fire, he rescued a comrade who had become dismounted. BELL was the first, and so far is the only, West Australian to secure the honour It is worthy of note that he is a native of Western Australia. Since the war began, Captain BELL has been on active service. He served with the First Contingent, with which his chum, Major "Jack" CAMPBELL, was a subaltern. They had a narrow escape one evening during their first campaign. Lying side by side on a rug near the camp fire, they were discussing old days when they were members of the No. 1 Battery. Something prompted both to move from the rug, and they had hardly done so before it was riddled with bullets. Both BELL and CAMPBELL have gone through another campaign with the Sixth Contingent, the one in command, and the other as a subaltern. CAMPBELL has gained his Majority, and Bell a VC. They are both soldiers of whom their old battery comrades are proud.
Source References
Murray: Official Records of the Australian Contingents etc. page(s) 214 396 398 399 426
Source:# Oz-Boer contributed source number 142
West Australian: West Australian newspaper date(s) 20.8.1901 & 12.4.1902
B5165: National Archives of Australia series B5165
Syd. Herald : Sydney Morning Herald newspaper date(s) 8.1.1901 page 5
Source:# Oz-Boer contributed source number 1090
W. Mail: Western Mail newspaper date(s) 11.11.1899
Register: The Register newspaper South Australia 30.4.1900
External Link URL1nla.gov.au/nla.news-page1345848
External Link URL2nla.gov.au/nla.news-article33178426
External Link URL3nla.gov.au/nla.news-article56553106
External Link URL4nla.gov.au/nla.news-article24742694


Please email me if you can contribute any other relevant information about this person (eg any other military service, where in Australia they came from or when/where they died). Also, if you find an external link broken.


Apology: For some time now it has been difficult to keep up with the newly available sources (especially the Trove newspaper site) plus the flow of contributions and queries. So I have been forced to prioritise maintenance and data entry over replying to correspondence. Nevertheless, your contributions are being added to the database and acknowledged on the contributions page and, although my replies are many months behind, I will attempt to get to them more often.
 
Colin Roe
Canberra

The Oz-Boer Database is copyright and may not be used for any commercial purpose.