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Published Biography

Biography extract from “The Fighting 10th”, Adelaide, Webb & Son, 1936 by C.B.L. Lock; supplied courtesy of the 10th Bn AIF Association Committee, April 2015.

Additional Biography

Gordon Cathcart Campbell was born 4 June 1885 at Myrtle Bank in Adelaide, South Australia. The Son of Dr Allan CAMPBELL and Mother Florence Ann (nee WAY). Allan Campbell who for many years was a member of the South Australian Legislative Council and founded the Adelaide Children’s Hospital. The ‘Allan Campbell’ wing at that institution is perpetuating his memory.

He was the nephew of the Lieutenant-Governor, Chief Justice of South Australia and Chancellor of The University of Adelaide, Sir Samuel J Way. His brother Captain Allan J Campbell served in the South African War and died during that campaign. His other brother Lieutenant Neil Campbell served in the South African War and was killed in action in the Great War at Strazeele, France in 1918.

Gordon was educated at Queen's School, St Peter’s College and the University of Adelaide, where in 1906 he obtained his BA, and then completed a law course graduating LL.B in 1909. He was called to the Bar in April 1911 and at the time was articled to Mr. G M Evan.

At the outbreak of the Great War was practicing as a solicitor on his own account. In 1915 he married Iris Emma, daughter of Isaac Alfred Fisher (a 1st Class cricket umpire), there being one son and one daughter of the union. He had a brilliant career, excelling in cricket, football, lacrosse, running and gymnastics, and during the prime of his achievement was regarded as one of the best athletic all-rounders in the State, his collection of medals totaling fifty.

Education and Sport - St Peter's College

Campbell attended Queen's School, North Adelaide from 1996 - 1997 and Saint Peter's Collegiate School from 1898 - 1903. In 1901 and 1902 representing St Peter’s College, he won the 100, 150, 220 and 440 yards event both in school and inter-collegiate sports. In 1901 his time for the 220 yards flat race was 23 seconds, which still remains a record. He won the cup and championship twice, and at this time captained the St Peter’s running team. It is a remarkable coincidence that his son, Allan junior, on the same day in January 1934 became the holder of both the Junior and Senior State Sprint Championships, and later won the Inter-University 100 Yards Championship, which thirty years previously his father had also annexed. In the 1904 inter-collegiate contests in Adelaide he held a record in six out of thirteen events.

He played cricket at Queen's School and inter-collegiate cricket for three years and was captain of St Peter’s 1st XI in 1901 and 1902. He was a member of the Intercollegiate football team in 1901 and 1902. During the school holidays he also played cricket for the Coromandel Cricket Club.

Although his sporting activities must have been a distraction from studies, he was still a fine student and by 1903 had completed his Senior and Higher entrance examinations and was enrolled in the Adelaide University Faculty of Arts in 1904.

Adelaide University Sport

At St Peter's College he had been a champion schoolboy footballer and had been approached by several league clubs to play for them, however after enrolling at Adelaide University to study for a Bachelor of Arts, his sporting priorities were Athletics, Cricket and Lacrosse although he did play some football for the "Blacks" in one season (1907).

In Melbourne in 1909 he captained the Adelaide Athletics team at inter-varsity sports, at which five universities were represented. He captained the Adelaide University lacrosse team and played from 1905 to 1912. Also an automatic selection for South Australia from 1908-1914, he was interstate goalkeeper and State Captain. He was awarded an Adelaide University Sporting Blue for Lacrosse in 1908 and Athletics 1909.

The Adelaide University Cricket Club was formed in 1907 with Gordon Campbell appointed as its first Secretary (1908/9 - 1911/12) following its admission to the SACA District Competition at the start of the 1908/9 season. He was a member of the very first SACA team and member of the first Intervarsity team that played in Sydney in 1910. Many players in the original University team were already highly regarded 1st Grade players and Campbell was no exception, having represented the North Adelaide team at that level from 1904/5. Although he had graduated in Law in 1909 and completed his articles in December 1910, he continued to play for University until the end of the 1911/12 season. At the time students could continue to play for up to 2 years after graduating, a concession that was eventually changed by a vote of the other SACA district clubs. He was awarded a Blue for cricket in 1911 which made him along side with fellow team mate Dr Charles Francis Drew the second of the University Sports Association's "Triple Blues" with D'Arcy Rivers Warren Cowen being the first to achieve this feat.

A brilliant athletic wicket-keeper, it was not long after joining the AUCC, that he was selected to play for South Australia in the 1909/10 season. After leaving University he played with both Adelaide (1912/13 , 1914/15 & 1919/20) and Sturt clubs (1913/14).

He was the regular wicket-keeper for South Australia from 1909/10 to 1914/15 and captained the State team on one occasion in February 1915. The South Australian team was well represented by University players at the time including A G "Johnny" Moyes (pictures above with Campbell). In 1913 Campbell had accompanied, Ernie Mayne’s (South Australia's regular captain at the time) touring team to the United States and Canada. He had also played in some other international matches for an Australian representative team at other than Test Match level.

International Cricket and the Administrator

In June 1914 he was selected as one of the two wicket-keepers in Warwick Armstrong's Australian Team for South Africa. Now 29 years of age and a practicing lawyer, Campbell was also asked to be the team manager for the tour.

It was great recognition for Campbell not only as a cricketer, but as individual of the highest caliber and it was certain that he would have had a great future in Australian cricket circles. However, the declaration of war in August of that year caused this tour to be abandoned so he would never get to represent Australia at the highest level.

It was therefore not to be as a player that he would make his mark, but later he would be a South Australian Cricket selector and for six years was on the Australian Board of Cricket Control. He was also for several years Chairman of the SA Cricket Association. To add to that he also became Chairman of the SA Lacrosse Association and President of the SA Amateur Sports Association.

War Service

Prior to joining the AIF he had not served with school cadets or any Australian Military Force unit. It was therefore a little unusual that on enlisting in May 1915 he was sent to Officers’ School for one month at Mitcham. Upon completing this course his appointment as a 2nd Lieutenant in the AIF was predated to 1 May 1915 and on 11 May 1915 he was posted to the 10th reinforcements of the 10th Battalion.

With Lieutenant Ernest Joseph Battye he embarked with this quota of reinforcements at Outer Harbour, per HMAT A70 Ballarat on 14 September 1915 and proceeded to Egypt, being encamped at Zeitoun for a short period. Towards the end of October 1915 he and the 10th reinforcements of the 10th Battalion (leaving Lieutenant Battye in Egypt) proceeded to the Dardanelles where at Lemnos on 2 November 1915 they disembarked and subsequently joined the Battalion after it had been withdrawn from the Peninsula on 21 November 1915. Early in 1916 he accompanied the Battalion to Tel-El-Kebir and Gebel Habieta, Egypt, where at the latter place he attended a Lewis Gun School, subsequently being appointed Officer in Command of the first Lewis Gun Section of the Battalion.

On 24 March 1916 he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant and accompanied the Battalion to France, where he retained command of the Lewis Gun Section, which with great skill and daring he led in the attack on Pozieres in July 1916. For his excellent work in this attack he was awarded the Military Cross, which was promulgated in the London Gazette amongst the New Year Honours on 1 January 1917. He was promoted to the rank of Temporary Captain on 1 August 1916, when he relinquished command of the Lewis Machine Gun Section, which then merged into a battalion machine gun company. At this juncture he was posted to the command of ‘C’ Company which he commanded, with a few short intermissions, until he was appointed Adjutant of the Battalion.

In September 1916, he proceeded to the 2nd Army School at Wisques, near St. Omer, and rejoined the 10th again on 12 October 1916. He was promoted to the rank of Captain on 24 October 1916.
On 25 February 1917 in the Le Barque attack, he was wounded in the foot, and preceded to England where he was admitted to the 3rd London General Hospital at Wandsworth. He returned to France and rejoined the Battalion at Ribemont in June 1917.

In August 1917 two special 10th Battalion companies were formed, trained as raiding parties, and designated ‘X’ and ‘Y’ Companies. He was posted to the command of ‘Y’ Company, 200 strong, and in addition to the training of these companies being extraordinarily hard and exacting, they were under the constant supervision of Battalion, Brigade and Divisional Officers. At no time during the whole of the Great War did the 10th possess two companies of men who were physically fitter than either his ‘Y’ Company or ‘X’ Company, which was under the command of Captain R K Hurcombe.

The Third Battle of Ypres found the 10th Battalion at Polygon Wood. On 20 September 1917, after his company had reached the 2nd objective in this operation, he co-operated with Captain Hurcombe in reorganizing the companies which had become hopelessly mixed. When the barrage lifted his company moved forward and established itself in the 3rd objective. For his distinguished service in this engagement he was awarded a Bar to his MC, being the first 10th Battalion Officer to win a second decoration. His award was promulgated in the London Gazette on 16 November 1917.

During the Celtic Wood raid he was in hospital at an Australian Field Hospital behind the line; but his ‘Y’ Company which was employed in this operation was brought out of Celtic Wood by Corporal C C Cooke MM, on 2 October 1917 with its strength reduced to 34 men, whereas only three weeks previously it had consisted of nine Officers and 200 other ranks. After one week’s absence from the 10th he rejoined the Battalion at Steenvoorde, and being the senior Officer temporarily commanded the Battalion until Major C Rumball subsequently took over. He also commanded the Battalion on two other occasions.

Early in 1918 he was one of three Officers specially selected from the 1st Australian Division by Brigadier-General Walker, for service with a special corps which was then being formed for duty at picked places in Europe and Mesopotamia. However, as single Officers only were eligible for inclusion, he was precluded from accepting this distinction. He remained with the Battalion until February 1918, when at the Aldershot Camp he was invalided to England and admitted to the 3rd London General Hospital at Wandsworth. He subsequently returned to France and rejoined the 10th at Sercus on 7 June 1918.

On 13 July 1918 he was appointed Adjutant of the Battalion, taking over the adjutancy from Captain W G Cornish, who had been transferred to 3rd Brigade Headquarters. In this capacity it devolved upon him to prepare the plans for the capture of Merris, which occurred on 29-30 July 1918, as a result of which Corporal Philip Davey of the 10th Battalion was awarded the Victoria Cross. He retained the adjutancy of the Battalion until 12 October 1918 when Captain W H Perry relieved him of the position. He was promoted to the rank of Temporary Major on 7 October 1918 and whilst the Battalion was training at Brucamps he injured a leg, which necessitated his lying-up. In anticipation of an order being issued whereby temporary rank could be retained after leaving the field, though indisposed he remained with the 10th as long as possible in order to preserve his temporary rank.

On 8 November 1918 the Battalion moved forward again, and he was then compelled to proceed to Abbeville Hospital, thereby reverting to his substantive rank of Captain. Three days after he evacuated the Armistice was signed, and on 15 November 1918 the long-expected instruction regarding retention of temporary rank was issued. By this narrow margin he missed his majority.

After being discharged from hospital he was seconded for duty as Divisional Courts-Martial Officer, 1st Australian Division, on 6 December 1918. He relinquished this appointment on 27 December 1918 and in January 1919 his knee occasioning him further trouble, he proceeded to England for medical attention. He was admitted to the 3rd London General Hospital at Wandsworth, and for the third time during the war was admitted to the same ward, with same nurses and doctors, and occupied almost the identical bed.

He subsequently negotiated with AIF Headquarters at Horseferry Road in connection with the formation of the AIF Cricket Team, which subsequently successfully toured Britain.

He embarked for Australia in March 1919 on board the Czaritza, an arctic exploration ship, which conveyed him to Alexandria, and there he remained a month prior to re-embarking on the Dunluce Castle. He arrived back in Adelaide in May 1919. His services with the AIF terminated on 8 August 1919.

He subsequently returned to the legal profession and became a Principal in the firm of Bennett, Campbell & Ligertwood, but in 1928 commenced practicing on his own account.

In 1920 he was appointed an Honorary Captain in the Reserve of Officers, 4th Military District, but for some years did not associated himself with the Australian Military Forces, and was not listed on the Reserve of Officers. In 1920 he became State Vice-President of South Australian branch of the Returned Servicemen's League and in 1920-1921 officiated as Chairman of the War Gratuity Board.

He had been prominently connected with the 10th Battalion AIF Club, and in 1934-1935 was President, and in September 1935 was re-elected to that position for a further term. He was one of the originators of the Army and Navy Stores, the inaugural meeting being held at his private residence. His legal partner (Mr. Bennett) rendered invaluable assistance in securing the passage of a special Commonwealth Bill which permitted war gratuities to be negotiated for bonds in the stores.

In 1935 he was practicing as a solicitor and company director at Albion House, Waymouth Street, Adelaide and was residing at No. 108 Finniss Street, North Adelaide.

Gordon Cathcart Campbell died in 1961 at the age of 76 and was cremated at Centennial Park. His name is inscribed on the Blackwood Soldier's Memorial and he is also commemorated on honour boards in Scot's Church, Adelaide, Christ Church Hall, North Adelaide and The University of Adelaide's Mitchell Building

Profile added with the permission of the author Rob O'Shannassy.

For the complete profile including photographs, newspaper articles, documents and sources prepared for the AUFC/AUCC WWI Memorial Project please see the document attached.

For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. While his battalion was assembling for an attack it came under a very heavy barrage. With great coolness and determination and utter disregard of personal safety, he reorganized his own company, and then assisted in reorganizing the rest of the battalion. Throughout the operations his work was admirable, and he was largely responsible for the success achieved.