Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

CAMPBELL Norman 2270 PTE
57th Battalion
1894-1951

Norman was born in Lancefield, although his WW1 service records state that Baddaginnie was his birthplace. This was probably due to the fact that he and his family moved there when he was fairly young and he never thought otherwise. His parents, Kenneth McLeod Campbell and Isabella Knight Campbell raised a family of eight children of which Norman was the third son. At some stage the family moved to Violet Town and Norman was educated at the Violet Town State School. His service records give the place of enlistment as Melbourne on 13 March 1915 when he was 20. Until then he had been working as a labourer.

He embarked in June, landed in Egypt and joined the 8th Battalion on Gallipoli in August. This battalion had taken part in the landing on 25 April but Norman’s reinforcement unit didn’t arrive until four months later.

In August he received a bullet wound to a finger for which he was transported to a hospital in Malta where his finger was amputated. He was then sent back to Ferry Post in Egypt where he was taken on strength of the 57th Battalion.  In June he embarked from Alexandria for Marseilles and travelled north to the Somme where the battalion was engaged in the battle at Fromelles. In July he received a severe gunshot wound to his left leg for which he was invalided to a military hospital at Bagthorpe in England.  He had extensive surgery where a tin plate was inserted in his leg. In October he went on furlough for 14 days, returning to the No 2 Command Depot at Weymouth. 

In June the following year he boarded HMAT Barambah for return to Australia. On 27 July 1917 Norman was discharged as medically unfit due to his leg wound. He was given a warm welcome home in the Jubilee Hall, Baddaginnie.

In 1918 he married Agnes Many Evans. Three daughters were born but only one lived to adulthood.

Agnes Mary died in 1938 aged 43, at a ‘hospital for mental hygiene’. An inquest into her death stated that she had died from ‘arterio-renal sclerosis and cardiac failure.’

He married a second time and three daughters and a son were born. The family lived in Brunswick.

He was awarded three medals – the 1914-18 Star, British War Medal and the Victory Medal.

In 1951 Norman died in the Repatriation Hospital, Heidelberg from broncho-pneumonia.  He  is buried at Fawkner Cemetery.

A Memorial tree was planted in Violet Town in his name. It is not known what kind of tree or where it was planted. However copper plaques used for identifying these ‘lost’ trees have been found and are now affixed to the exterior wall of the Memorial Hall.

Honour Boards: Violet Town State School Honour Board
                        Main Honour Board, Memorial Hall, Violet Town
                        Copper plaque affixed to exterior wall of Memorial Hall, Violet Town.
                        Jubilee Hall, Baddaginnie Honour Board.

© 2017 Sheila Burnell