CAMPBELL, Allan Begbie
| Service Number: | 918 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 28 April 1915, Liverpool |
| Last Rank: | Lance Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 12th Light Horse Regiment |
| Born: | Woollahra, New South Wales, Australia, 29 January 1889 |
| Home Town: | Sydney, City of Sydney, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Ashfield Grammar School and Wagga Experimtal Farm, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Station Hand |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Aseiferiyeh, Palestine, 19 April 1917, aged 28 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Cooroy War Memorial, Eastwood War Memorial, Jerusalem Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 28 Apr 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 918, 12th Light Horse Regiment, Liverpool | |
|---|---|---|
| 9 Aug 1915: | Embarked Private, 918, 12th Light Horse Regiment, HMAT Runic, Sydney | |
| 9 Aug 1915: | Involvement Private, 918, 12th Light Horse Regiment, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '3' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Runic embarkation_ship_number: A54 public_note: '' | |
| 2 Nov 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 918, 12th Light Horse Regiment, ANZAC / Gallipoli | |
| 13 Nov 1915: | Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 1st Light Horse Regiment | |
| 22 Feb 1916: | Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 12th Light Horse Regiment | |
| 6 May 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 12th Light Horse Regiment | |
| 19 Apr 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 918, 12th Light Horse Regiment, Battles of Gaza | |
| 19 Apr 1917: | Involvement Lance Corporal, 918, 12th Light Horse Regiment, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 918 awm_unit: 12th Australian Light Horse Regiment awm_rank: Lance Corporal awm_died_date: 1917-04-19 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Michael Silver
Allan Begbie Campbell was the third of four sons of Alfred Branch Campbell and Emily Maria Begbie of Woollahra. His mother died when he was four years old and he, along with his three brothers were raised by their father. His eldest brother Frederick and youngest brother, Herbert also served during World War 1 and returned. The other brother, Arthur, did not as he had a glass eye, the result of a childhood accident.
Allan Campbell, a 26 year old station hand, who worked in the Cooroy (Noosa) district of Queensland, enlisted on 28 April 1915 at Liverpool, New South Wales. He embarked from Sydney in HMAT A54 'Runic' on 9 August 1915 as part of the 12th Light Horse Regiment, 3rd Reinforcements and arrived in Egypt during mid-September 1915.
The 12th Light Horse Regiment was raised, as part of the 4th Light Horse Brigade, at Liverpool, New South Wales, on 1 March 1915. It sailed from Australia in two contingents in June 1915. The regiment was reunited in Egypt on 23 July 1915 and began training as infantry, having been ordered to leave its horses in Australia.
The first reinforcements for the 12th arrived in Egypt on 24 August, just one day before embarkation for Gallipoli. The regiment was again split up, to reinforce three light horse regiments already ashore - A Squadron went to the 1st Light Horse Regiment, B Squadron to the 7th, and C Squadron to the 6th.
The second reinforcements, which arrived on Anzac about 2 November, included Private Allan Campbell. On 13 November 1915 he was transferred to the 1st Light Horse Regiment. During November, the climate began to change, bringing cold weather which included snow, something which most men had never seen, let alone lived in. Food and water were rationed and fell well short of the actual needs of the troops. In early December, it was realised that without sizeable reinforcements, a further advance on Anzac would be impossible and they began to prepare for evacuation.
The evacuation commenced on the 11 December with most troopers off the peninsula by the 19th and all evacuated by 20 December. Afterr just six weeks at Gallipoli, Private Allan Campbell disembarked the HT Hororato at Alexandria on 27 December 1915.
The 12th Australian Light Horse Regiment, including Private Campbell, was reunited on 22 February 1916, by which time all the AIF troops from Gallipoli had returned to Egypt.
He was promoted to Lance Corporal on 6 May 1916 and with the 12th Light Horse resuming its mounted role, joined the forces defending the Suez Canal on 14 May 1916. From mid-June Lance Corporal Campbell was detached to the 2nd and 3rd Light Horse Brigades Headquarters under Colonel John Robinson Royston.
During the latter part of 1916, Allan Campbell suffered an extended period of ill health before re-joining the 12th at the beginning of 1917. In April 1917, the regiment moved into Palestine to join the main British and dominion advance. It participated in its first major battle on 19 April 1917 when it attacked as part of the ill-fated Second Battle of Gaza.
On the opening day of the battle, 918 Lance Corporal Allan Begbie Campbell was killed. Statements made by troopers witnessing his death state that his Squadron was in extended order, attacking the right flank of Gaza, "Atawineh Redoubt" about 8 am. He was shot about the body, falling from his horse, instantly killed.
His body was never recovered, and his burial place is unknown.
918 Lance Corporal Allan Begbie Campbell, late 12th Light Hose Regiment, AIF is memorialised on the Jerusalem Memorial at Panel 58.
Sources:
https://www.tuckerjr.com/getperson.php?personID=I11814&tree=Tucker-Eatch
http://www.lighthorse.org.au/12th-light-horse-at-gallipoli/
https://www.ancestry.com.au/mediaui-viewer/collection/1030/tree/28881673/person/12472940152/media/7d18e3a0-44bb-4f73-9fd5-32eb31904560?_phsrc=xjM12923&usePUBJs=true
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