Colin Campbell likeness

Corporal Colin Campbell

11th (Service) Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
Service No: S/7103

Colin Campbell grave

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Personal details

Family Information

Only son of Hugh and Betsy M Campbell of 17d Eglinton St, Coatbridge. Colin left everything to his father in his Will. From the 1901 Census - Address - 17d Eglinton St, Coatbridge - Hugh Campbell aged 45, Betsy M Campbell aged 41, Margaret J Campbell aged 6, Colin Campbell aged 4 and Mother Betsy's Father James Jack aged 78. Colin's Pension was awarded to his father Hugh on the 19/01/1917.

Born / Resided

17d Eglinton St, Coatbridge / 17d Eglinton St, Coatbridge.

Died

Killed in Action on the 03/07/1916 when an enemy shell landed on his working party

Enlisted

Coatbridge 19/12/1914

Employed

Apprentice Engineer in the Sunnyside Engineering Works.

Age

20 / DOB - 05/06/1896

Buried / Remembered

Vermelles British Cemetery (IV. F. 35), Pas de Calais, France.

Cemetery / Memorial Information

Vermelles was in German hands from the middle of October 1914 to the beginning of December 1914, when it was recaptured by the French. The cemetery was begun in August 1915 (though a few graves are slightly earlier), and during the Battle of Loos, when the Chateau was used as a dressing station, Plot I was completed. It was laid out and fenced by the Pioneers of the 1st Gloucesters, and known for a long time as "Gloucester Graveyard". The remaining Plots were made by the Divisions (from the Dismounted Cavalry Division onwards) holding the line 1.6 kilometres East of the cemetery until April 1917, and they incorporated a few isolated French graves of October 1914. From April 1917, to the Armistice, the cemetery was closed; but after the Armistice some graves were re-grouped and others were brought in (to Plots II, IV and VI) from the battlefields to the East. There are now over 2134 First World War casualties commemorated in this cemetery. Of these, 198 are unidentified and special memorials are erected to six soldiers from the United Kingdom, known to be buried among them. This cemetery also contains the graves of 11 casualties of other nationalities.

Additional Information

The Battalion arrived at Boulogne on the 09/07/1915 and were part of the 45th Brigade, 15th (Scottish) Division. Colin arrived on the 02/10/1915. Colin was killed when an enemy shell landed on his working party. He was the only man killed. Colin received gunshot wounds to the head in February 1916 and was home visiting his family 6 weeks before he fell just 33 days after his 20th birthday. He was promoted to Corporal on the 10/05/1916. SEE PHOTOS x 21 FOR THE 11th BATTALION WAR DIARY FOR JUNE - JULY 1916. It states on the 03/07/1916 - "slight rain overnight makes trenches sticky and muddy. Atmosphere heavy and oppressive. Casualties 1 Killed, 2 Wounded". The man killed was young Corporal Colin Campbell. See Newspaper clippings x 6 for information on his death and for letters sent to his family from 2nd Lieutenant Prosser and 2 of Colin's friends in the trenches, Privates Hutton and Gemmell. Colin's father was confined to bed when these letters arrived. Colin is also remembered on the Coatbridge Technical College and Coats Parish Churches Rolls of Honour and at the Family Plot in Old Monkland Cemetery x 2 (see photos). See photos for Colin's Medal Index Card, Vermelles British Cemetery, the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Cap Badge, Colin's Pension Record, his Army Register of Soldiers Effects, his Service Medal and Award Rolls x 2, his CWGC Grave Registration x 2, and his Service Record x 8. Colin's grave inscription reads "HE GLADLY ANSWERED BRITAIN'S CALL AND DIED THAT WE MIGHT LIVE". Finally, see photos for Newspaper clippings x 6 (Coatbridge Express x 1, Coatbridge Leader x 2 and Airdrie and Coatbridge Advertiser x 3), another photo of Colin's grave (main photo taken by myself after placing Poppy Cross July 2023), Vermelles British Cemetery taken by myself in July 2023, also 9 Poppy Crosses I placed in Vermelles British Cemetery before I left for France in July 2023 (Colin's Cross middle left), PHOTOS x 9 FOR THE 15th (SCOTTISH) DIVISION BOOK JULY 1916 and the 15th (Scottish) Division Order of Battle x 13 (the Division he was with when he died).

Photos
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War Diaries

The battalion War Diary is available on the National Archives website.

Creative Commons License

We have made this information and the images available under a Creative Commons BY-NC license. This means you may reuse it for non-commercial purposes only and must attribute it to us using the following statement: © coatbridgeandthegreatwar.com

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