Campbell, Irvine Fleming

Gosford District Casualties of World War One

Bragg, Edmund Allen Service Number 1494

Killed in Action 19th May 1915 Gallipoli Peninsula

Gosford District Casualties of World War One

Campbell, Irvine Fleming Service Number 1669

Died of Wounds 2nd June 1915 At sea aboard HMTS “Neuralia,” at Malta

Gosford City Council gratefully acknowledges the voluntary efforts of

Benalyn Campbell

And Vivienne Tranter

in compiling this resource

The information in this file has been extracted from official records

held in the

The Australian War Memorial and

National Archives of Australia

(© Commonwealth of Australia [National Archives of Australia] 2013)

Further information on this soldier may be found online at:

Commonwealth War Graves

The AIF project

Content advisory: This file may potentially contain disturbing accounts of service-related injury and death, disease and family grief. Adult supervision is recommended for children

using these resources. Individual files should be viewed within the context

provided by wider research on service conditions in the 1st AIF.

This resource is presented by Gosford City Council

for research purposes only. Please note that copyright for resources

contained within remains with the original copyright owners.

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/au/deed.en

NAME Campbell, Irvine Fleming

SERVICE NO 1669

UNIT 2nd

Battalion

RANK Private

AGE at Enlistment 37 yrs 9 mths/ DoB 12 Dec 1877

PLACE OF BIRTH Gosford, NSW

ADDRESS “Avoca” ST. Albans St. Scone. NSW

OCCUPATION Shire Clerk

DATE OF ENLISTMENT C17 Aug 1914

PLACE OF ENLISTMENT Kensington, NSW

PREVIOUS SERVICE 5 yrs Newington College Senior Cadets

1 yrs Imperial Bushman

1 yrs Scottish Horse-Boer War 5 Yrs Lieut & OC “E” Coy Aust Rifle Regt. 2 yrs active service South Africa

14th Infantry

NEXT OF KIN Wife Gertrude Ellen Campbell

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION Height-5’11”. Weight-11st. Chest-35-38

Complexion-Dark. Eyes-Brown. Hair-Brown.

RELIGION C/E

EMBARKED Sydney 18 Oct 1914 per HMAT A23 “Suffolk”

DISEMBARKED

NOTES Promoted Cptn 28 Apr 1915

WOUNDED/ILLNESS Wounded Gallipoli 26 May 1915 Shrapnel left knee. Fatal wounds Received in attack on The Nek.

DIED 2 Jun 1915 At Sea aboard HMTS “Neuralia” @ Malta

BURIED

MEDALS 1914-15 Star-10261, British War Medal-2204, Victory Medal-2204. Memorial Plaque & Scroll-355834

DEPENDANTS Wife & 3 sons;- Alleyn I, Hugh Douglas & Jas Donald.

PERSONAL EFFECTS 1 Tin trunk (cont unknown). 1 Tobacco pouch, 1 knife, 1 Revolver, 3 Maps.

WILL

CORRESPONDENCE

REMARKS As all others who died at sea were also buried at sea, one assumes the same applies here.

RED CROSS REPORT

NEWSPAPER REPORTS

NSW Births:- Campbell-Irwin F—1878-9963 ptns Hugh and Rebecca reg Brisbane Water

NSW Library—Record Details—Collection Hierarchy- A.G. Stephens; collection of portraits of officers and men of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) and the Australian Naval Forces, 1914-1919

Title: Level of Description: Date of Work: Type of Material: Call Number: Issue Copy: Physical Description:

Captain Irvine Fleming Campbell Item 1914-1915 Graphic Materials PXA 1011/5 Digitised Photographs:1 panel photoprint; image 14x 8cm., mount 14.3x 10.1cm. (trimmed)

Administrative / Biographical Note: Signatures / Inscriptions: General Note: Name: Topic: Persons:

Campbell, Capt. Irvine Fleming. 2nd Bn. Died of wounds at sea 2nd June, 1915. Lone Pine Cemetery, Gallipoli. Son of Hugh and Rebecca Campbell; husband of G.E. Campbell, of Miamba, Hill St., Scone, New South Wales. Some biographical information taken from reverse of photograph. For additional information, refer to the Australian War Memorial (online), Biographical Databases, First World War Nominal Roll and Honour Roll. Campbell, Irvine Fleming Army officers Uniforms Adult Males

GOSFORD TIMES 18.6.1915.

HIS LAST LETTER HOME The following is a copy of the last letter written home to his people at Gosford by Captain Flem Campbell, who was killed in action at the Dardanelles:-

On board Troopship A10, Lemnos, April 19th

. Your letters dated 28

th February, 1915, and 4

th March, 1915, to hand yesterday, and was very pleased

to get them. As you see, we are still on board the troopship, and anchored in a bay at the Island Lemnos, just near the Dardenalles. I am braving the Censor this time, and think I can get this through. This Island seems a bit barren, although I am told that there are 36 villages upon it. We have been practicing disem-barking and re-embarking. It was a treat to get on a place where there was no sand. The Island is inhab-ited by Greeks, and they are nearly as bad as the Egyptians. Everyone of them seem to have something in the way of food to sell at a price which nearly takes one’s breath away. Nuts, figs, oranges, bread, tinned fish, and articles of native make are the principal wares. I Thought in Egypt that I never tasted such figs and oranges in my life before, but what we got here are much finer. Would like to send a few strings of figs, but there is really no chance. This harbor puts me in mind of Brisbane Water very much, although there is nothing to see around us in the way of trees. All the hills are bald. The bay is full of transports and war-ships, about 70 all told, and we are waiting for a few more troops before we make a move. We have all sorts of ships of war here, from the great Queen Elizabeth (which was only launched in December last), to the smallest submarines, three or four airships and a couple of balloons. We here that a move is to be made to-morrow (Monday). I hope so, as we have been here about ten days already, and life on board ship is not all that could be desired. We are in for a pretty rough time when we land, against the Turks, but I have no doubt of the ultimate result. Rest assured, I will take every care of myself. I pray that you and the three dear boys as well. Am writing this in a hurry, on my knees, so please overlook scrawl. A mail leaving presently, I must hurry. There is really nothing to write about now. I am getting taller than ever, except in the face. They tell me that my face is too hard to carry fat. Forgot to tell you when we were on shore here that the land is cultivated. They grow wheat, barley, &c, and beautiful vegetables, but only for consump-tion of the grower. They do not export anything. There were heaps of flowers growing amongst the crops, and the scent was glorious. Poppies, cornflow-

ers, buttercups, daisies, great patches of clover, and hundreds of other flowers which I have never seen

before – it was such a treat. Well, this is all. It is just lunch time (we are living like fighting cocks), and the

mail closes at one. So must close again with fondest love to self, our three bonnie boys, and all at home. –

From FLEM.

GOSFORD TIMES 18.6.1915 Captain I.F. Campbell, son of Mr and Mrs Hugh Campbell, of Wyoming Gosford, had been wounded in an engagement at the Dardenalles. On Tuesday a telegram conveyed the sad intelligence that he had died from the wounds received. Deceased who resigned his position as Shire Clerk at

Scone in order to fight for King and country, belonged to

one of Gosford’s very oldest families. He leaves a widow

and family, for whom with his parents, brothers and sisters,

the deepest sympathy is expressed.


DEATH OF CAPTAIN FLEM CAMPBELL. Captain I. F. Campbell, whose death is reported this week, having succumbed to wounds received in action at the Dar-danells, was the fourth son of Mr and Mrs Hugh Campbell of “Wyoming” Gosford, one of the oldest and best known families in Brisbane Water district. Word was received on Friday that he had been wounded, and a few days later a cable conveyed the sad intelligence that he was to be the first Gosford victim to give his life for King and country in this fearful war in which the world is embroiled. Captain Campbell was born at Gosford in 1877 and apparently comes from military stock, for at an early age, after being educated at Newington College he became drill instructor. When the Boer War broke out he enlisted went to South Africa, and in the following year was invalided home. Hav-ing recovered, he married at Manly Miss Gertrude Wand, also old residents of Gosford. Later on he returned to South Africa, and, holding the rank of Quarter-master Sergeant, he served until peace was declared. Returning to Gosford he continued his duties as drill instructor, and eight years ago left for Scone to take up the position of Shire Clerk. In his new position, he was appointed to the rank of Captain, and continued military duties as instructor for the districts of Scone, Muswellbrook and Murrurundi. Captain Campbell’s death came as a great shock to his family and friends, with whom the deepest sympathy is expressed. He leaves a widow and three sons, the eldest, aged 10, and two twins about twelve months old. On another page we publish a copy of the last letter written by Captain Campbell to his

wife and family .

SYDNEY MORING HERALD 21.6.1915.

CAPTAIN CAMPBELL Captain Irvine Fleming Campbell, who has died of wounds,

belonged to Scone. He was born in 1877, and appointed

second lieutenant in the Australian Rifle Regiment in 1904.

Three years later he was gazetted lieutenant and placed on

the reserve of officers in 1908. In 1913 the deceased officer

was appointed to the 14th (Hunter River) Infantry, to the Sin-

gleton-Scone-Muswellbrook Company. On the outbreak of

war he went to the front with the 2nd

Battalion under the Late

Lieut-Colonel Braund. He had previous war experience,

having taken part in the Boer War 1900-1. He was present

at operations in Rhodesia, May 17 to 25, 1900, and in the

Transvaal, including actions at Elands River and Orange

River, and also fought in Cape Colony between November,

1900, and June, 1901. He received the Queen’s medal

with four clasps.


Mrs Hugh Campbell, of Wyoming, on Monday received a cable

from her son, Captain Campbell, who was recently reported to

have died from wounds. The cable was dated from Cairo and

said:- “ Hope you are better. Stanley (nephew) and self well

24th. Fondest love-Campbell”.


Q.M.S. Grayston, of Tamworth, wounded at the Darda-

nelles, has been invalided home. He belonged to the

Company commanded by the late Captain I.F. Camp-

bell, a Gosford “boy”. Interviewed by a pressman, the

wounded soldier spoke in the highest terms of Captain

Campbell, both as a man and a soldier, and intimated

that he intended paying a visit to Scone to acquaint Mrs

Campbell of the heroism displayed by her Husband

prior to his fall on the field of battle.

GOSFORD TIMES. 17.12.1915.

A FIGHTING FAMILY Mr Harry Campbell, of Narara, has enlisted, and went into

camp this week. The Campbells are a fighting family. In the

Boer War Harry and brother Flem served right through the

campaign. At the outbreak of the present war Flem (the late

Capt. Campbell) at once enlisted and fell fighting at Gallipolli.

Tom, an another brother, is at present on his way to Egypt,

and Harry is also leaving wife and children to serve King and

Country. The eldest of the family, Mr J. W. S. Campbell,

schoolmaster of Galston (who has a son at the front) is an old

reservist, and was officially asked how soon he could be in

camp if required. His answer was brief – “immediately”.

Gosford Times 18.01.1917 After the flood at Clermont (Q) pianos and billiard tables were found hanging in trees. Mr Arthur Fleming, who prior to enlisting was clerk to the station master at Hornsby, has been killed in action. The Allies are confident of their ability to hold the enemy everywhere, remaining free to choose their own time and place for offensive.

Abridged record/s courtesy of the National Archives of Australia (NAA) Series No: B2455 Item Barcode: 1854028

Campbell, Irvine Fleming

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