CAMPBELL, James Chippindall

A Southern Downs Veteran

CONFLICT : WWII
SERVICE NO : 634
RANK : Pilot Officer
UNIT : 3rd Squadron
ENLISTMENT DATE : 8/01/1940
AGE : 22
PLACE OF ENLISTMENT : Archerfield, Queensland
PLACE OF BIRTH : Charters Towers, Queensland
RELIGION : Unknown
PRE-WAR OCCUPATION : Journalist
DATE OF DEATH : 25/01/1941
PLACE OF BURIAL : El Alamein, Egypt

MEMORIALS : Warwick SCOTS College 1939-1945 Honour Roll, Toowoomba Grammar School WW2 Honour Board, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Alamein Memorial

View this person’s Service File : James Chippindall CAMPBELL

NOTES : James was the only child of Robert and Dorothea Campbell. He attended Toowoomba Grammar School and SCOTS PGC in Warwick. While at SCOTS College he was a member of the Cadet Corps. James was the Melbourne Editor of the Sydney Daily Telegraph and married Ann Cormack on the 29th June 1940.

James was killed in action when the plane he was flying was attacked by enemy aircraft. Following is a copy of the official report of his demise:
Flying Officer J.C. Campbell was killed in action on January 25. At about 0830 hours (0630 hours G.M.T.) his patrol of 4 Gladiators flew East over Support Group Headquarters at Segnali. They were followed a few minutes later by 5 G50’s who caught them up about 2 miles East of Segnali. In the fight which follow, one Gladiator was seen to be shot down. Flying Officer Campbell was already dead when we reached him. His gladiator had dived into the ground and turned over. It did not catch fire. He was buried by the Padra at Segnali, 120 yards on a bearing of 217 degrees from the sign post at main 1 tracks.

Back home in Australia, Mr Denning, the principal of SCOTS College had the unfortunate duty to inform the staff, students and parents of the school that a former student of the school had perished. Sadly, while this was the first recorded death of a former student, there would be many more assemblies call to honour more former students who lost their lives in the fight for freedom.

After the war Graves Registration Units attempted to retrieve the remains of men and women like James who were buried in isolated graves. Unfortunately, the body of James Chippindall Campbell was never located and therefore has no known grave.

Read about Southern Downs Military History here.