Campbell, Joseph Walton

140 Sergeant Joseph Walton Campbell - 1st Australian Division Signal Company

Joseph Walton Campbell was born in Fremantle in 1891 to Robert and Isabella Campbell. He was one of nine siblings, with, Nellie 1884, Robert 1885, George 1887, Jessie 1889, 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. The family then took up residence at 122 Victoria Road Fremantle. (Later renumbered 81 Queen Victoria St).

Joseph was educated at Fremantle Boys School during which time he participated in the school cadet scheme as well as the 86A Cadets of the Citizens Military Forces. Joseph was serving with the Signallers.

After leaving school Joseph took up employment as a clerk.

On the 25th August 1914 Joseph enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. He was passed as fit by the medical examiner who recorded his physical attributes as;

Height - 5 feet 7 & 1/4 inches tall;

Weight - 145lbs;

Chest Measurement - 32-26 inches;

Complexion - Dark;

Eyes - Blue;

Hair - Dark.

Joseph was initially assigned to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was assigned to the 1st Australian Division Signal Company. As this unit was training in Victoria, Joseph went over to Broadmeadows Camp to join this unit.

In October 1914 Joseph and his unit embarked from Port Melbourne aboard the transport ship Karoo. The ship sailed to Albany as part of the first convoy and from there to Egypt.

After being disembarked in Egypt the men were sent to form camp at Mena at the base of the pyramids. Joseph and his unit trained here from December 1914 to March 1915. They then received their orders to depart with the ships taking them to Lemnos Island off the Turkish coast.

Joseph landed with his unit at Anzac Cove on the 25th April 1915 and he served with the 1st Division Signal Company till the 9th May 1915 when he was wounded in action. He had been hit by shrapnel in the head and was evacuated by hospital ship to Malta.

Fortunately the wound was not severe and after a month Joseph returned to Gallipoli on the 22nd June 1915. He remained with his unit through the rest of the campaign and in November 1915 was promoted to Lance Corporal.

During the campaign it was mentioned that Joseph was mentioned in divisional orders for conspicuous gallantry and distinguished service though unfortunately the recommendation no longer exists.

The men of the 1st Division Signals remained at Gallipoli until the evacuation. They then withdrew with the infantry parties. Joseph and his unit returned to Egypt in January 1916.

The next few months in Egypt were spent on training and refitting with the unit being brought back up to their full complement. On the 21st March 1916 the unit left Egypt and proceeded to France, arriving at Marseilles on the 26th March 1916.

After being disembarked the men were then entrained north for the Armentieres sector of Northern France. After arriving Joseph was promoted to Corporal. They remained in the Armentieres sector till June 1916 and were then transferred to the Somme battlefield.

Joseph helped provide communications during the Australian actions ay Pozieres and Mouquet farm during July and August 1916. Much of the time they were under heavy shellfire and breaks in the line always had to be repaired. Fortunately Joseph survived these actions on the Somme and was then appointed to the rank of Temporary Sergeant.

In September 1916 Joseph and his unit were sent to Ypres in Belgium for six weeks but in November then returned to the Somme battlefield. Joseph reverted back to being Corporal on the 1st November 1916.

Joseph remained on the Somme from November 1916 to March 1917, and helped provide communications between the front line units and Divisional HQ. He survived this period unscathed and on the 1st April 1917 was promoted to Sergeant.

In March 1917 the Germans had begun their withdrawal to their pre-prepared defensive position known as the Hindenburg Line. The Australian and British units followed up this withdrawal closely and many sharp battles were fought around the Hindenburg Line Outpost villages. Joseph would have been kept busy with keeping the communications working as the Australians went through Boursies, Lagnicourt, Noreuil and Bullecourt.

In June 1917 the 1st Australian Division were given a three month rest period out of the front line and in August 1917 Joe went on leave to Paris.

He soon returned and then served with his unit through the Third Battle of Ypres from September to November 1917. The Australians then remained in Belgium from December 1917 to March 1918.

On the 31st January 1918 Joe went to the UK on a fortnight's leave.

Joe remained with his unit through 1918, seeing action at Hazebrouck, Meteren and Merris from April to July 1918.

The 1st Australian Division then took part in the advance from Amiens, from August 8th 1918 till September 18th 1918. The 1st Australian Division was then pulled out of the line for a rest period and the Armistice would be announced before they could return to the front.

As an original enlistee William was given what was called 'Anzac Leave' where the 1914 men were given six months of leave back to Australia. In October 1918 William left England aboard the ship Port Sydney and sailed for Australia via Taranto in Italy. During the voyage home to Australia, the Armistice was declared. Joe arrived home in Fremantle on the 25th November 1918. He was then discharged from the AIF on the 13th January 1919.

Joe then returned to the family home at 122 Queen Victoria Street Fremantle. Sadly his father Robert died on the 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.

On November 9th 1922 Joe married Ethel Agnes Hogben at Scot's Church Fremantle and they took up residence locally before moving to Corrigin where Joseph found work as a clerk.

They had a son Peter Graham Campbell born in 1923.

The family lived at Corrigin to the mid 1930's when they moved to Yoondanooka near Geraldton. Joseph was a storekeeper and was also a Justice of the Peace in the Geraldton region. They remained here through to the 1950's. In 1954 they moved to Victoria Park.

Joseph Walton Campbell died on the 1st May 1956 aged 64. He was cremated at Karrakatta Cemetery.