Campbell, Robert Buchanan
790 Private Robert Buchanan Campbell - 12th Battalion AIF
Robert Buchanan Campbell was born on the 6th October 1885 in Camberwell Victoria to Robert and Isabella Campbell. He was one of nine siblings, with, Nellie 1884, George 1887, Jessie 1889, Joseph 1892, Richard 1894, Colin 1895, Arthur 1897 and Beatrice 1899.
The family moved to Western Australia in 1891 and took up residence in Fremantle. Robert (snr) was the Chief Mechanical Engineer of the WA Government Railways
In 1909 he married Ivy Mildred Stirling at St Mary's Church in Perth and a daughter Gwen born in 1910 and son Bruce in 1912.
In 1910 the family were living at 361 Hay St in Perth and Robert was working as a clerk. In 1913 the family then moved to 332 Mandurah Rd South Fremantle. In 1914 they then moved to 116 Victoria Street Fremantle.
On the 31st August 1914 Robert enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. He was found to be fit for enlistment with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;
Height - 5 feet 6 inches tall;
Weight - 163 lbs;
Chest Measurement - 38-40 inches;
Complexion - Fair;
Eyes - Blue.
After his successful enlistment Robert was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was assigned to "G" Company of the newly forming 12th Battalion AIF. The 12th Battalion was made up of Tasmanians, South Australians and West Australians. WA would initially provide men for "G" and "H" Companies though when the 8 companies were converted to 4 companies "G" and "H" Companies became the new "D" Company.
For the six weeks after enlistment Robert trained at Blackboy Hill Camp. Towards the end of the month the WA Companies of the 12th Battalion received their orders to leave WA and so the men packed up camp and entrained for Fremantle Harbour where they boarded the HMAT Medic on the 31st October 1914. The ship then made it's way to Gage Roads where it berthed for another day. They set sail on the 2nd November 1914 and made their way into the Indian Ocean where they joined the rest of the 1st Contingent that had sailed from Albany.
Arriving in Egypt in late November 1914 the men were disembarked and sent into camp at Mena which would be their base for the next few months.
While the 11th Battalion photo on the pyramid is well known, the Western Australians in the 12th Battalion also took the opportunity. (Photo below)
On the 2nd March 1915, the 12th Battalion as part of the 3rd Brigade left Alexandria and were sent to Lemnos Island in preparation for the landing on the Turkish coast. The 12th Battalion would train at Lemnos for the next several weeks.
On the evening of April 24th the troopships began departing Lemnos, bound for the Turkish coast. The 12th Battalion was to be split among the 9th, 10th and 11th Battalions. D Company of the 12th would land with their fellow Western Australians in the 11th Battalion. Landing at North Beach, the men quickly made their way inland through the rocky and scrubby foothills till they reached the 2nd Ridge and some parties continued on to the Third ridge and beyond. Turkish resistance stiffened by mid morning and the Australians were pushed back to a toehold on the 2nd Ridge.
During the first day's action Robert was wounded by bullets in the arm and head. He was patched up on the beach my medical corps men and then sent back out to the ships, by which route he was returned to Egypt for further medical attention.
On the 30th April 1915 Robert returned to Egypt and was sent to the 1st Australian General Hospital. He was given better medical treatment here but he would still spend more than two months in Hospital.
He was due to be released in late July 1915 but a dalliance led him to receiving venereal disease which necessitated a further stay in hospital. However his health quickly improved and he was soon sent back to Gallipoli, rejoining the 12th Battalion on the 29th August 1915.
He served for the next month, but on the 1st October 1915 he was sent to hospital with dysentery. It was serious enough that he was returned to Egypt and was admitted to the 1st Australian General Hospital. He spent over a month in Egypt but after his health improved Robert was sent back to Gallipoli on the 14th November 1915. As the 12th Battalion were at Mudros he rejoined them there.
As Gallipoli was due to be evacuated it appears that Robert remained with his unit and departed with them for Egypt in December 1915. He was disembarked in Alexandria on the 6th January 1916.
Five days after arriving back in Egypt Robert was hospitalised with bronchitis and pleurisy. He had been taken to the 2nd Australian General Hospital. It was very serious for a while for Robert and he remained in hospital till the 25th March 1916.
By the time he had recovered, the 12th Battalion had already departed for France, so he was instead sent to the 3rd Training battalion. He remained in the reinforcement camp in Egypt for several weeks. On the 11th May 1916 he left Egypt aboard the transport ship Caledonia and embarked for France.
After arriving in Marseilles he was entrained north for Etaples where he would be joining the 1st Australian Division Base Depot. The reinforcements were kept at these base depots until the units at the front needed reinforcing.
Robert remained at the 1st ADBD from 20th May 1916 to 31st July 1916. He was then sent to the front, joining the 12th Battalion on the 4th August 1916. On July 23rd the 12th Battalion had taken part in the capture of Pozieres village and their casualties had been heavy so reinforcements such as Robert were much needed.
Robert took part in the 12th Battalion's next action when they attacked the German line near Mouquet Farm on the 19th August. Though a portion of the men had made it to the trenches the Germans were able to recapture what had been taken. Fortunately Robert came through unscathed.
The 12th Battalion were then sent to rest up in a quieter sector in Belgium. During their time in Belgium Robert got into trouble by going absent without leave for three days and as a punishment had to undergo 50 days of Field Punishment No.1
By November 1916 the 12th Battalion were back on the Somme Battlefield near Flers. They would remain here during the French winter of 1916/17. During February 1917 the 12th Battalion attacked and captured the French village Le Barque and were one of the units following up the German withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line.
On April 6th the 12th Battalion were ordered to capture Boursies village. This village was captured under heavy German machine gun fire. At 4am on the 6th April “D” Company of the 12th Battalion attacked along the Cemetery Road. This attack was met with withering German machine gun fire though with assistance from the 11th Battalion the objective was taken. It was a hard fought action and 62 dead was the total suffered by the 12th Battalion in that advance.
Just over a week later on the 15th April 1917 the 12th battalion was holding an outpost line in front of the village of Lagnicourt when the Germans launched a large counter attack. Despite initial success, the Germans were pushed back but again the 12th Battalion suffered heavy casualties.
In May 1917 the 12th Battalion saw further action at Bullecourt. Robert came through all these actions unscathed. In June 1917 the 12th Battalion were withdrawn from the front line for a well deserved three month rest period. During June to August 1917 the 12th Battalion undertook much training and sporting activities.
In August 1917 Robert suffered an injury to his hand during a cycling incident but after two weeks in hospital he rejoined his unit. In September 1917 the 12th Battalion were sent into Belgium to take part in the Third Battle of Ypres. Robert saw action during the Battle of Menin Road on the 20th September 1917 and then subsequent actions through October and November 1917 at Polygon Wood, Celtic Wood, Zonnebeke and Passchendaele. He came through all these actions safely.
From December 1917 to March 1918 the 12th Battalion helped hold the front line in Belgium just south of east of Ypres near Hollebeke.
On the 23rd January 1918 Robert had been given two weeks leave to the UK, returning to his unit in Belgium on the 16th February 1918.
On the 27th March 1918 Robert was sent back to England to prepare for a return to Australia. On the 5th April 1918 in England he boarded the transport ship Borda for the journey back to Australia for six months rest. Robert arrived at Fremantle on the 22nd May 1918.
Robert was due to re-embark with a Western Australian reinforcement group in July 1918 back to England but after a medical examination at No.8 Australian General Hospital in South Terrace Fremantle, he was found to be medically unfit for further service. He was then discharged from the AIF on the 14th August 1918.
Robert then returned to the family home at 122 Queen Victoria Street Fremantle. Sadly his father Robert died 4th July 1919 in Colombo Harbour Sri Lanka. He had been in England for three years on munition making and was on his way home when he died at Colombo.
In 1922 Robert moved to Pemberton and was working as a clerk. He then moved in 1925 in Hoffman Mill and was now working as a Timber Worker.
By 1931 the family had moved back to Perth, taking up residence at Hammersley road Subiaco.
Robert died 11th April 1953 in Geraldton aged 68. He was buried at the Church of England Cemetery Geraldton.