Campbell, George William

2355 Corporal George William Campbell - 28th Battalion AIF

George William Campbell was born in Fremantle on the 10th August 1896 to John and Alice Campbell. He was one of nine siblings; May (1882), Gertrude (1885), Alice (1887), Ellen (1889), Sarah (1891), John (1894) 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 George took up employment in the local area as a Clerk. George had also joined the Royal Australian Naval Reserve in January 1911.

On the 31st July 1915 George enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. He was accepted as fit for service with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;

Height - 5 feet 9 inches;

Weight - 144lbs;

Chest Measurement - 33 - 35 inches;

Complexion - Fair;

Eyes - Grey;

Hair - Auburn.

Upon his successful enlistment George was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was assigned to No.1 Depot Training Unit. He was taken through the basics of infantry work while at this training facility.

On the 16th September 1915 he was assigned to the 5th Reinforcements to the 28th Battalion. He trained with this group in WA for another month and on the 13th October 1915 went to Fremantle Harbour and boarded the transport ship HMAT Themistocles. The ship then journeyed to Egypt, arriving there in November 1915.

The men would have been expecting to be sent on to Gallipoli but plans were now underway for the evacuation of the Turkish battlefield, so George and his group were retained in Egypt. When the 28th Battalion returned to Egypt in January 1916 George was taken on strength of the unit.

George trained with the 28th Battalion for the next two months in the Egyptian desert. On the 16th March 1916 George and the 28th Battalion departed from Egypt aboard a transport ship bound for France, arriving at Marseilles on the 21st March 1916.

After their arrival in Marseilles, the 28th Battalion were entrained for Northern France. They would have their first experience of the Western Front in the Armentieres sector.

From April to June 1916 the 28th Battalion gained much experience around Bois Greiner and Fleurbaix. They also took part in the first Australian trench raid on the Germans.

In July 1916 the 28th Battalion headed for the Somme battlefield. On July 23rd 1916 the 1st Australian Division had captured Pozieres village, and the 2nd Division then came in to replace the 1st Division.

The 28th Battalion was tasked with the capture of the German lines near the vital windmill position at Pozieres. Unfortunately the 28th Battalion's advance took place along a raised part of the battlefield and the Germans poured in a devastating amount of fire causing many casualties. The attack failed but on August 4th 1916 the 28th battalion took part in the successful capture of the windmill position.

George came through both attacks at Pozieres unscathed. In August 1916 the 28th Battalion returned to action as the line advanced towards Mouquet Farm. George again came through safely.

In September 1916 the 28th Battalion went to Ypres in Belgium for several weeks, but then returned to the Somme in October 1916.

On November 5th the 28th battalion took part in an attack on German positions near Warlencourt. The attack through horrible muddy conditions did not succeed and casualties were heavy. On the 16th November another action took place and during this battle, George was captured by the Germans.

He later wrote of his capture;

We were holding a section of the enemy front line that had been captured by the 19th Battalion days before.... At about 5pm on 16.11.1916 enemy infantry attacked in artillery formation closely following upon an intense artillery bombardment. On our sector that had caused us heavy casualties. The enemy bombed us from both flanks and from the direction of their second line about 40 yards behind us. Eventually we were only 15 unwounded men left and we were compelled to surrender. There were no officers with us. Lieutenant Brown was our platoon commander but I cannot say what became of him. Immediately after capture we were taken to Bapaume and then to Havrincourt where we were kept for three days. Our next move was to Cambrai where we stayed three weeks. I did not get into Germany till February 1917, having us close behind the lines at Trecault? In relation to the 15 of us who were captured in the trench there were four more captured in No Mans Land. I was then sent to (indecipherable) suffering from muscular inflammation. My next move was to Soltau where I was sent to the NCO draft camp...

George spent much of his Prisoner of War life at Soltau and Limburg. It was only with the Armistice in November 1918 that George was released. He was sent to England via Rotterdam in Holland. Though he had not been wounded George suffered from muscular rheumatism during his time as a prisoner of war.

Even though the Armistice had been signed on the 11th November 1918 George did not return to England until the 30th December 1918. After reporting in to AIF Headquarters he was then given a months leave.

On the 3rd February 1919 he reported back to AIF HQ and was then sent to No.2 Command Depot Camp at Weymouth. He would wait here to be assigned a berth on a troopship home.

On the 5th March 1919 George boarded the transport ship Nevassa and set sail for home, reaching Fremantle on the 20th April 1919.

After being disembarked George was sent to No.8 Australian General Hospital in South Terrace Fremantle where he was given a thorough medical examination. Despite his prisoner of war experience he was found to be in good health

George was discharged from the AIF on the 13th June 1919.

George's brother John also served in the AIF and returned home in 1919 after service with the 1st Pioneer Battalion.

After his discharge George returned home to Bruce Street North Fremantle. From 1922 to 1939 he was living at 27 Bruce Street North Fremantle and then moved to 35 McKimmie Street East Fremantle. He lived there till 1949 and then returned to Bruce Street North Fremantle, where he lived until he died in 1956.

George died on the 3rd January 1956 at 27 Bruce Street North Fremantle.