Pte
Charles Richard Campbell
Information about birth
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Year of birth: 1876 |
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Place of birth: Hobart, Tasmania, Australia |
General information
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Last known residence: Morwell, Victoria, Australia |
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Profession: Horse trainer |
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Religion: Presbyterian |
Army information
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Country: Australia |
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Force: Australian Imperial Force |
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Rank: Private |
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Service number: 2292 |
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Enlistment date: 19/07/1916 |
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Enlistment place: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
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Units: — Australian Infantry, 37th Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 12/10/1917 |
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Place of death: Hamburg, Passendale, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 41 |
Cemetery
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Tyne Cot Cemetery Plot: XX Row: E Grave: 1 |
Points of interest 4
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Last known residence | ||
| #3 | Enlistment place | ||
| #4 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Charles Richard Campbell was the son of Mary and James Campbell. He was born around 1876 in Hobart, Tasmania. Before the war he lived near Morwell, Victoria, and worked as a horse trainer. Charles enlisted in the Australian Army and was part of the 37th Battalion Australian Infantry Regiment (10th Brigade, 3rd Division).
Charles was killed in action on 12 October 1917 during the First Battle of Passchendaele, part of the Battle of Passchendaele. The 37th Battalion launched the attack for Augustus Wood and aimed to advance to Crest Farm. The attack began at 5:25 a.m. The artillery and machine gun fire during the advance was heavy. Pillboxes were tackled and German men were captured. The battalion reached its objective but was unable to consolidate. The unit therefore withdrew about 50 yards and dug in under machine gun fire.
The shelling on the battalion headquarters, located at Hamburg Farm, was also heavy. The remaining officers and men in the front line established themselves in new positions about 100 yards further back. Stretcher bearers were busy evacuating the wounded, a difficult task: not only did the condition of the ground hinder the evacuation, but the constant shelling of the aid post in the vicinity of Dab Trench also made it difficult to administer first aid. Even the stretcher bearers were not safe from the shelling.
The captured line could be held and a connection was made with the New Zealanders on their left and the 9th Australian Brigade on their right. There were no further German attempts to launch a counterattack. The number of casualties was high: 28 killed, 179 wounded and 37 missing.
Charles was killed in action at the age of 41. According to his service record, he was buried about 250 yards north of Hamburg. Witnesses stated that Charles was fatally struck in the chest about 50 yards from the starting positions. After the war, his body was found near Hamburg. His remains were reburied at Tyne Cot Cemetery, where he found his final resting place.
Charles was killed in action on 12 October 1917 during the First Battle of Passchendaele, part of the Battle of Passchendaele. The 37th Battalion launched the attack for Augustus Wood and aimed to advance to Crest Farm. The attack began at 5:25 a.m. The artillery and machine gun fire during the advance was heavy. Pillboxes were tackled and German men were captured. The battalion reached its objective but was unable to consolidate. The unit therefore withdrew about 50 yards and dug in under machine gun fire.
The shelling on the battalion headquarters, located at Hamburg Farm, was also heavy. The remaining officers and men in the front line established themselves in new positions about 100 yards further back. Stretcher bearers were busy evacuating the wounded, a difficult task: not only did the condition of the ground hinder the evacuation, but the constant shelling of the aid post in the vicinity of Dab Trench also made it difficult to administer first aid. Even the stretcher bearers were not safe from the shelling.
The captured line could be held and a connection was made with the New Zealanders on their left and the 9th Australian Brigade on their right. There were no further German attempts to launch a counterattack. The number of casualties was high: 28 killed, 179 wounded and 37 missing.
Charles was killed in action at the age of 41. According to his service record, he was buried about 250 yards north of Hamburg. Witnesses stated that Charles was fatally struck in the chest about 50 yards from the starting positions. After the war, his body was found near Hamburg. His remains were reburied at Tyne Cot Cemetery, where he found his final resting place.
Sources 5
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37th Australian Infantry Battalion, (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), AWM4 23/54/16). https://www.awm.gov.au/ Sources used |
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Australian Red Cross Wounded and Missing Enquiry Bureau (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), RCDIG1038735). https://www.awm.gov.au/ Sources used |
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First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920 (National Archives of Australia, Canberra (NAA), B2455 CAMPBELL C R). https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/ Sources used |
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McCarthy, Chris. Passchendaele: The Day by Day Account (Londen: Arms & Armour Press, 1995), 129-130. Sources used |
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Unit embarkation nominal rolls, 1914-18 War (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), AWM8). https://www.awm.gov.au/ Sources used |
More information 4
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/462175 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=7325fb9e-74e8-43e7-acd9-30405eb69832 |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/7289000 |
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The AIF Project (UNSW Canberra) https://aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=44559 |