Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

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Biographical Notes

This David CAMPBELL was born on 25 December 1886 (or 1885) at Fincairn, Londonderry, Ireland, the son of Robert and Margaret (née BURNSIDE) CAMPBELL. When David enlisted, he was farming at Willowbridge in partnership with W. J. CAMPBELL (William John, his brother). David was a brother of Thomas CAMPBELL who also enlisted, and of Jack who was listed on the Reserve Rolls before enlisting in 1917 and serving in New Zealand. By 1915, David, his brothers William John (Jack) and Thomas, and his sisters Mary Ann (Annie) and Matilda Margaret (Tilly) had all settled at Willowbridge near Waimate. In 1901 they were all at home at Fincairn, Londonderry with their widowed father and other siblings. David and William John had left before 1911, David emigrating to The Hook, Waimate. New Zealand, in 1908. He had served in the Volunteer Battalion of the Gordon Highlanders, and at the outbreak of war, he was one of the first volunteers, enlisting on 13 August 1914 at Timaru. August 1914 from Timaru they proceeded to Christchurch where they comprised the South Canterbury Squadron. Two months later he embarked at Lyttelton, a trooper with the Canterbury Mounted Rifles. The Mounted Contingent from South Canterbury entrained at the Show Grounds in the morning of 15 August 1914, having mustered there at 7.45am for the final inspection. David suffered a great deal with injuries (fractured arm; ankles) and illnesses (neurasthenia; heatstroke). In March 1916 he was admitted to the No. 1 New Zealand Stationary Hospital at Salonika, with fracture to the olecranon. Two months later, at the New Zealand General Hospital at Cairo, it was reported that the fracture was improving, and he was discharged to the Aotea Convalescent Home at Heliopolis. In late May 1916 he was admitted to the No. 2 Australian Stationary Hospital at Tel-el-Kebir, affected by heatstroke. While awaiting return to New Zealand, he was suffering from heatstroke and neurasthenia and subsequent injury to his ankles. On 11 June 1916 he was invalided from Suez to New Zealand and struck off strength of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. At the Proceedings of the Medical Board of 1 September 1916, he was found to be suffering from an injured chest (continuous pain in the chest) and heatstroke, which were caused by his service at Gallipoli. His progress was only fair and the disability was likely to continue for 12 months; therefore Discharge was recommended. David returned to New Zealand per the "Ulimaroa", leaving on 16 July 1916 and arriving on 22 September 1916. In late May 1919 when the Studholme and Willowbridge Soldiers’ Social Committee held a most successful social in the Hannaton Hall, to extend “a right royal welcome” to fourteen returned soldiers, among them David’s brother, John Campbell, the chairman announced his plans to have medals presented to the returned men. In January 1920 men from the Studholme and Willowbridge districts who had gone to the front were recognised by residents in a fitting manner. Each man was presented with a neatly-designed gold medal. Each medal was suitably inscribed, and on the face were a crown, crossed rifles and a representation of a battlefield (an aeroplane, a heavy gun and a tank). In 1920 he was awarded the three war medals – the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. David returned to farming, at Hook near Waimate. The Campbell brothers held a very successful clearing sale at Willowbridge in early April 1918. Every lot met with keen competition, the horses being an exceptionally fine lot. He and Mona retired to Waimate not long before his death on 3 April 1963 at Waimate. A service was held at the Knox Presbyterian Church, and he was accorded RSA honours at his funeral in Waimate. His next-of-kin at death was Mrs M. CAMPBELL, 5 Betten Street, Waimate (widow). David had married Mona Sevicke JONES in 1921. Two sons, David Franklin Sevicke CAMPBELL (teacher, Rangiora School) and Arthur Derek CAMPBELL (chemistry professor at Otago University), were trustees in his will, where he set out very specific provisions for the handling of his estate and made the usual provision for his wife. Another son, John Burnside CAMPBELL, was given the option of purchasing the farm. His nephew, a son of his sister Annie, Joseph Holmes Miller was dux of Waimate High School, was prominent in Antartic affairs, served in World War Two, and earned the OBE. His brother-in-law, John Borthwick, husband of his sister Matilda CAMPBELL, also served in World War One.

Sources

Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [01 April 2014]; N Z Defence Force Personnel Records (Archives NZ Ref. AABK 18805 W5530 0022202) [11 July 2014]; Timaru Herald, 4 April 1963 (Timaru District Library) [15 July 2014]; NZ Electoral Rolls (ancestry.com.au) [July 2014]; Probate record (Archives NZ/FamilySearch) [15 July 2014]; Waimate Lawn Cemetery headstone transcription (South Canterbury Branch NZSG Cemetery microfiches) [2014]; 1901 census Ireland (www.census.nationalarchives.ie) [26 October 2014]; Timaru Herald, 15 August 1914, 10 July 1916, 8 April 1918, Press, 24 August 1914, Dominion, 8 July 1916, Otago Daily Times, 11 July 1916, Waimate Daily Advertiser, 4 January 1916, 26 July 1916, Oamaru Mail, 8 January 1920 (Papers Past) [02, 03 & 07 July 2015; 01 May 2016; 30 June 2016]; NZ BDM Indexes (Department of Internal Affairs) [2014]; Ireland Civil Registration Births (ancestry.com.au) [2014]; Wallace Family Tree (ancestry.com.au) [26 October 2014] Joseph Holmes Miller – Biography (Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand) [16 July 2014]; SCROll web submission by A Campbell, 31 May 2022

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