Campbell, John Stewart
4211 Corporal John Stewart Campbell - 1st Australian Pioneer Battalion AIF
John Stewart Campbell was born in North Fremantle WA in 1894 to John and Alice Campbell. He was one of eight siblings, with Gertrude (1885), Alice (1887), Ellen (1889), May (1882), Sarah (1891) George (1896) and Hugh (1898).
The family lived in Bruce Street North Fremantle and John was educated at North Fremantle Primary School. Sadly his father passed away in 1903, leaving Alice to bring up the children.
After leaving school John took up employment in the local area as a labourer and during this time also served in the Naval Reserve Cadets.
On the 4th October 1915 John enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. He was found to be fit for service with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;
Height - 5 feet 11 & 3/4 inches tall;
Weight - 154 inches;
Chest Measurement - 36-39 inches;
Complexion - Fair;
Eyes - Grey;
Hair - Brown.
After his successful enlistment, John was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was initially allotted to No.32 Training Depot. He was then taken through the basics of infantry work.
On the 1st December 1915 John was then transferred to the 13th Reinforcements to the 12th Battalion AIF. John spent the next several weeks training with this group in WA.
On the 29th January 1916 John boarded the transport ship HMAT Runic in Fremantle Harbour and set sail for Egypt.
John disembarked at Suez on the 3rd March 1916 and was sent into the 3rd Training Battalion at the 1st Australian Division Base Depot. The 12th Battalion was already at its full complement of numbers and departed for France.
On the 29th March 1916 John departed Egypt with the 3rd Training Battalion reinforcements. After arriving at Marseilles, the men of John's reinforcement group were sent north to the French coastal town of Etaples, which was where the 1st Australian Division Base Depot was established.
John remained here for nearly two months but on the 27th May 1916 he was taken on strength of the 1st Australian Pioneer Battalion. Trained as infantrymen, the pioneers were tasked with light combat engineer functions in the field, with a large number of personnel possessing trades from civilian life. They used construction and engineering skills to assist with digging trenches, labouring, constructing strong points and undertaking battlefield clearance. At the same time, they could be used as infantry. Each of the Australian infantry divisions had a Pioneer Battalion.
John served with his unit through the Battle of the Somme at Pozieres and Mouquet Farm in July and August 1916 and came through unscathed. In September 1916 John was promoted to the rank of Lance Corporal.
John served with his unit through to April 1917 when he was evacuated sick. He was away from his unit for several weeks, only rejoining them on the 4th June 1917.
The 1st Australian Division was now on a three month period out of the front line to rest and refit. During this time John was granted a two week period of furlough in England.
In September 1917 the 1st Division moved to Belgium to take part in the Third Battle of Ypres. John's unit provided support during operations at Menin Road and Polygon Wood.
On the 27th September 1917 John was slightly wounded by shrapnel but remained on duty. He survived the remaining actions through October and November 1917 at Ypres unscathed.
From December 1917 to March 1918 the 1st Division held part of the front line between Messines and Ypres. As a result of the German breakthrough on March 21st 1918 on the Somme, the Australian Divisions began to be sent south. The 1st Australian Division was the last to move and had just reached Amiens when news came through of another breakthrough from the front they had just departed from, so the 1st Australian Division were returned to Northern France to help stem this breakthrough.
Along with British units, the 1st Australian Division helped stop this German advance in the Hazebrouck and Nieppe Forrest sector. Through April till July 1918 John was with the 1st Pioneer Battalion as they constructed defences and trenches in this sector.
On the 2nd June 1918 John was promoted to Corporal.
Through June and July 1918 there was many raids by the Australians in the vicinity of Merris and Meteren.
In August 1918 John and the 1st Australian Division were sent to join the other Australian Divisions on the Somme. A large advance took place from the Villers-Bretonneux front on the 8th August 1918. The 1st Australian Division advanced on the 9th August to further the gains already made.
John and the 1st Pioneers were in constant action from August 9th to September 18th when they were pulled out of the line for a rest. On the 25th September 1918 John was given two weeks leave to England, rejoining his unit on the 11th October 1918.
When the Armistice was announced on 11th November 1918 the 1st Pioneers were making preparations to return to the front, but instead they were soon sent to Belgium, to what had been German occupied areas for the last four years. The 1st Pioneers were in the Charleroi area.
On the 20th March 1919 John returned to England from Belgium to await to be allotted a berth on a troopship home.
On the 1st June 1919 John boarded the transport ship Somali and set sail for home, reaching Fremantle on the 8th July 1919.
John's brother George also served in the war and was captured by the Germans. He survived his prisoner of war experience and returned home safely.
John was discharged from the AIF on the 30th August 1919. He returned to live in Bruce Street North Fremantle and took up work as a fireman.
In 1923 in North Fremantle John married Elsie May Deeble and a son Roy was born in 1924 and a daughter Alice in 1928.
In the 1930's they were living at 5 Nelson Street South Fremantle and they lived here till the 1970's.
John died on the 26th June 1981. He was buried in Fremantle Cemetery plot Anglican Lawn A 0119.