Victor Campbell (British Army officer)

Victor Campbell
Born (1905-03-09)9 March 1905
Died 4 June 1990(1990-06-04) (aged 85)
South Brent, Devon
Allegiance  United Kingdom
Service/branch British Army
Years of service 1924–1957
Rank Major-General
Commands held 1st Battalion, Gordon Highlanders
31st Lorried Infantry Brigade
Battles/wars Second World War
Awards Companion of the Order of the Bath, Companion of the Distinguished Service Order, Officer of the Order of the British Empire

Major-General Victor David Graham Campbell CB DSO OBE (9 March 1905 – 4 June 1990) was a British Army officer of the Second World War and post-war period.

Early life

Campbell was the son of General Sir David Campbell and Janet Mary Aikman. He was educated at Rugby School and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.[1]

Military career

He commissioned into the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders on 30 August 1924.[2] He was promoted to captain in 1935, and between 1933 and 1935 served as Adjutant of the 2nd Battalion, The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders at Aldershot. Campbell then served as an instructor at RMC Sandhurst until 1938. In 1939 he undertook the staff course at the Staff College, Camberley, before serving with his regiment in the Battle of France. On 12 June 1940 he was captured by German forces and became a prisoner-of-war. He was kept at Colditz Castle from 1942 until his liberation in 1945, when he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order.[3]

Between October 1945 and July 1946, Campbell served with the Allied HQ in the Netherlands East Indies, after which he was invested as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire.[4] In February 1949 he transferred to the Gordon Highlanders and became commander of the regiment's 1st Battalion. Between December 1950 and November 1952 he was Commanding Officer, 31st Lorried Infantry Brigade in the British Army of the Rhine. From 1954 to 1957 he was Chief of Staff, HQ Scottish Command, and retired on 6 April 1957 with the rank of major-general. In 1956 he was invested as a Companion of the Order of the Bath.[5]

Other work

Campbell became a Justice of the Peace in 1962, and in April 1962 became a Deputy Lieutenant for Devon.[6] He served as High Sheriff of Devon in 1968.

Personal life

He married Dulce Beatrix, daughter of G.B. Collier and the widow of Lt. Col. J.A. Goodwin, in 1947.[7] Campbell died in South Brent, Devon in 1990.

References

  1. ↑ 'Campbell, Victor David Graham' in at unithistories.com, accessed 7 July 2015
  2. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 32969. p. 6500. 29 August 1924. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
  3. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 37302. p. 5006. 11 October 1945. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
  4. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 37996. p. 2921. 26 June 1947. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
  5. ↑ 'Campbell, Victor David Graham' in at unithistories.com, accessed 7 July 2015
  6. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 42663. p. 3520. 1 May 1962. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
  7. ↑ 'Campbell, Victor David Graham' in at unithistories.com, accessed 7 July 2015
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Wednesday, July 08, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.