TOPIC:

I AM RESEARCHING MY CAPTIONED GREAT GRANDFATHER WHO COMMANDED THE 6TH BATTALION ROYAL WARWICKSHIRE REGIMENT. I HAVE FEW DETAILS ABOUT HIS TIME DURING THE BOER WAR OTHER THAN THAT HE WAS MENTIONED IN DESPATCHES AND AWARDED THE D.S.O.

I WOULD BE GRATEFUL TO ANYONE WHO CAN PROVIDE ANY RELEVANT INFORMATION.

Robert,

Here is his entry from the DSO book:

CAMPBELL, JOHN, Captain and Brevet Major, was born 7 March, 1871, son of Captain W H Campbell, Madras Staff Corps, and of Ellen Magdalena, eldest daughter of Major General J D Mein, Madras Royal Horse Artillery. He was educated at Haileybury, and entered the Army from Sandhurst 7 January 1892; posted to the 79th Cameron Highlanders; was promoted Captain, April, 1898: served in the Sudan, 1898; was present at the actions of Atbara and Omdurman; was mentioned twice in Despatches [London Gazette, 24 May and 30 September 1898]; was promoted Brevet Major, and awarded the British Medal, and Khedive's Medal with two clasps; was Adjutant, 1st Cameron Highlanders, 1 February 1898 to 4 December 1900; Staff College, 1901-3; Staff Captain, War Office, April 1904 to December 1905; Brigade Major, Aldershot, December 1905 to April 1908; Chief Instructor, School of Musketry, Hythe, June 1909 to June 1913. He served in South Africa, 1900-1, as Adjutant, 1st Battalion Cameron Highlanders, March to September 1900, and 1 June to 5 December 1901; during operations in the Orange Free State, February to May 1900, including actions at Vet River (5 and 6 May) and Zand River; taking part in the operations in the Transvaal in May and June, 1900, including actions near Johannesburg, Pretoria and Diamond Hill (11 and 12 June); during operations in Orange River Colony, May to September 1900, including actions at Wittebergen (1 to 29 July), and Ladybrand (2 to 7 September); during operations in the Transvaal, June to December 1901. He was mentioned in Despatches [London Gazette, 10 September 1901]; awarded the Queen's Medal with five clasps, and created a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order [London Gazette, 27 September 1901]: "John Campbell, Captain and Brevet Major, Cameron Highlanders. In recognition of services during the operations in South Africa". The Insignia were presented by the King 12 March, 1902; the Warrant sent 19 March, 1902. He was promoted Major 9 March, 1905, and Brevet Lieutenant Colonel 21 February 1914. He commanded the 2nd Cameron Highlanders May 1914, to May 1915; wounded at Hooge 10 May 1915; appointed Temporary Brigadier General commanding 121st Brigade 7 October 1915 to April, 1918, and attained the substantive rank of Lieutenant Colonel, 1916. He was created a CMG 1915; awarded the Order of St Stanislaus, 3rd Class, with Swords, August 1915; promoted Brevet Colonel, January 1917; created a CB January 1918; appointed Temporary Major General commanding 32nd Division, April, 1918; transferred to command 31st Division, May 1918 to March, 1919. Mentioned in Despatches seven times; Commaudeur de l'Ordre de la Couronne and Croix de Guerre (Belgian), March, 1919; appointed Temporary Brigadier General commanding 1st Highland Brigade in Germany, March, 1919 to 31 October 1919; appointed Brigadier General commanding 11th Infantry Brigade 1 November 1919; promoted Colonel, June, 1919; Commandeur de la Legion d'Honneur, October 1919. Colonel Campbell married, in 1901, Amy Leighton, third daughter of the Reverend Canon Hopkins.

Source: DSO recipients (VC and DSO Book)

He must have been attached to the Royal Warwickshires. Here is a link to some information on the Warwickshires: angloboerwar.com/unit-information/imperi...arwickshire-regiment

His DSO entry says QSA with 5 clasps.

His QSA is on the roll WO100/170p339 but any clasps are obscured. He served with the 6th Battalion. His SA01 clasp is on the roll WO100/170p389, also the 6th Battalion.

He is also listed on the roll for the 1st Cameron Highlanders with clasps Joh, DH, Witt and Cape Colony.

Most of his active service would seem to have been with the Camerons: angloboerwar.com/unit-information/imperi...-cameron-highlanders

Apologies for delay in reverting to this website and thankyou very much. My great grandfather seems to have had identical names as the chap who served with the Highlanders! My relative was a son of George Palmer Campbell and the last family member to own Duntroon house (now the Royal Military College) in Canberra, Australia. He was commissioned into the Royal Warwickshire Regiment as a Lieutenant on 6 Dec. 1876 and marrried Helen Spooner in 1881. On 19 Jan. 1884 he was promoted to Captain. In 1885 he was promoted to Major. He was Commandant at Sanna's Post in the Orange Free State with the 6th Battalion (I think) of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment where the Battalion was to protect the Waterworks and keep open the road from Bloemfontein to Israel's Post. Constant enemy contact and escorting convoys. In March 1901 his Commanding officer had a horse riding accident and my relative then a Major assumed command. For a time he was also Commandant Prisoners of War on board the "City of Cambridge" at Simon's Town. On 27 Sept. 1901 orders came through to return the battallion to England. On 6 May 1901 they entrained at Bloemfontein after a march of 24 miles and sailed for England on the "Bavarian" on 11 May 1901 reaching Southampton on 31 May 1901. On 29 July 1901 the Queen's Medal with 3 clasps was presented to him by King Edward V11 at Marlborough House. A citation appeared in the London Gazette on 27 Sept. 1901. On 29 October 1901 King Edward decorated him further at St James Palace with a D.S.O. On 11 Dec 1901 he was promoted to Lt Colonel in command of the 6th Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment (2nd Warwick Militia) made vacant by the death of Colonel Harry L.B.McCalmont, C.B., M.P. In 1903 he retired with the honorary rank of Colonel. During WW1 he was Deputy Lieutenant and Justice of the Peace for Herefordshire where he lived and Military Representative and later National Service Representative for the Leominster Rural District of Hereford during WW1. He died at his home at Linden, Upper Colwell, Malvern, Worcestershire, England on 19 May 1936.

This from the Birmingham Daily Gazette of 22 May 1936 seems to confirm he commanded the 6th Btn RWR during the Second Boer War.



Smethwickians only served in the 2nd and 5th Btn RWR during the Second Boer War, so their antics, as far as I understand them, will not assist you.

Entering your GGF's full name in my on-line newspaper search facility gave several hits for his pre-Second Boer War military activities but none for the Second Boer War.