Captain Herbert Campbell MC, 113 Infantry Brigade, 1914-8

dante · June 13, 2017

Single 1915 Star, Herbert Campbell was born 21 April 1875 and was brought up

He came to Winchester Collage in the summer of 1888 and left in the summer of 1893, followed by his brother William Orr Campbell (DSO, 13th RWF) in 1891.

They were the sons of William H Campbell and Augusta Biddulph OF Brewoods Close, Cookham Dean and 30 Lancaster Gate, Hyde Park .

Herbert was a member of the Debating Society but his speeches aren’t recorded.

There is some confusion as to what University he went to some documents have him at New others Magdalen College, Oxford but he is registered on the war service of Oriel College , Oxford (although they record his service as Salonika, where as he only served in France).

On leaving he was employed within the Foreign Office as secretary to HM Consul General to Norway in 1899, then a member of the British Mission to reorganise the Greek Navy 1911-1913.

Reference: ADM 1/8648/228
Description:British Naval Mission to Greece
Date: 1923
Held by: The National Archives, Kew
Legal status: Public Record(s)
Closure status: Open Document, Open Description

Mission was 1912-1913, during the Balkan Wars

In 1913 He was awarded the Chevalier of the Royal Order of the Redeemer as the Secretary to the Head of the Mission, Paymaster-in-Chief George Barnard Townesend, R.N.

In 1911 he was Elected Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and noted on the 1911 census as being of "independent means" .

In 1915 he then joins the 17th Battalion Royal Welch Fusiliers in 1915, first as Lieutenant, then promoted to Captain.

He was Staff Capt D.A.A.G, with the 113rd Infantry Brigade and mentioned in Haig’s despatches in 1917, He remains "general list" staff captain until 1918 when he re-joins his regiment. (Note Oxford University war service has him serving in Salonika, which is wrong, he only served in France)

He was awarded the Military Cross in the 1918 New Year’s honours list.

At some point he moved to Cyprus on account of rheumatism

Herbert was an expert in genealogy, especially that relative to the Duntroon Campbell's, having had numbers of articles published in The Genealogist in the 1920's. He also authored the "The Campbell's of Duntroon and Their Cadets" 1913

He is mentioned on the ‘keep’ board bearing the names of Wykehamists who passed through an old farmhouse known as the ‘Winchester Keep’ near to the front line at Laventie. Herbert’s name is recorded on one of the boards and this is now kept here at the school.

Herbert wrote to the school magazine about the design and location of our proposed war memorial.

He died in Cyprus in 1931 (I have yet to find an obituary).