David Campbell (British Army officer)

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General

Sir David Campbell
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath

Governor of Malta
.

After home service in Britain and Ireland his regiment,

cavalry charges in the first months of the war; the second of these saw him receive multiple wounds, one of them from a lance, making him one of the last British casualties of that weapon. In November 1914 he was promoted to command 6th Cavalry Brigade, then in May 1916 came further promotion to command 21st Division
. He retained that command for the rest of the war.

Post-war, he was knighted in 1919, and went on to hold further command and administrative positions in the army. He was

mechanisation
of the army. He was then appointed Governor of Malta, and died shortly after resigning that office in 1936.

During the early years of his military career Campbell was also a successful amateur

National Hunt jockey, winning a number of major races; foremost amongst these was the Grand National of 1896, on The Soarer, which gave him his nickname in subsequent years (though his divisional staff referred to him as Barbara, for reasons now lost). He continued riding in military meets until the end of his army service. He was also a keen cricketer and polo
player.

Early life and career

Campbell was born on 28 January 1869, the son of

gazetted a second lieutenant in the 9th Lancers on 15 March 1889.[1][3] Joining the cavalry was an expensive business. A junior officer's pay was just £95 a year, but the expenses of regimental living—such as mess bills—meant that a private income of at least £500 a year was required, in addition to a similar amount when first commissioned to buy horses, uniform and other equipment.[4] At the time the regiment was based in Manchester, with a detachment at Seaforth Barracks, Liverpool.[5] In April 1890 there was a major reorganisation of British Army cavalry regiments, with the establishment being increased from 488 Other Ranks and 300 horses to 628 OR and 350 horses, followed in August by a further increase to 706 OR and 424 horses.[5] August also saw the regiment move to Ireland, initially to the Curragh, and then Dundalk; due to the reorganisation, the regiment was now seriously understrength, so a recruitment campaign was started.[5] Campbell was promoted lieutenant on 9 December 1890.[6] Cavalry regiments, in addition to their increase in size, also had their structure reorganised, with the main sub-unit becoming the squadron rather than the troop, each squadron being formed by the merger of two troops.[5] The remainder of their time in Ireland was split between the Curragh and Newbridge. In addition to the restructuring, the regiment was issued with new-style equipment in August 1893.[7]

The regiment's tour in Ireland lasted until August 1894 when it was posted to Aldershot; the regimental history describes the period as "one of the most peaceful and undisturbed in that country before or since".[7] Over this time, Campbell had begun to make a name for himself as an amateur jockey,[1] and on 9 March 1894 at the Grand Military Meeting at Sandown Park he won the Maiden Steeplechase on The Soarer,[8] a horse he had acquired on the toss of a coin.[9] Later in the year, on 27 November he won the Middlesex Steeplechase and 28 November he won the Uxbridge Handicap Steeplechase Plate, both at Kempton Park, followed by third in the Handicap Steeplechase back at Sandown Park on 7 December 1894, and back at Kempton Park, another win in the Hampton Steeplechase Handicap on Boxing Day; all these races were also on Soarer.[10][11][12][13] 1895 began rather less successfully, with a fourth on Soarer in the Grand Military Gold Cup at Sandown Park on 8 March,[14] and the next day he failed to finish in the Grand Military Handicap Steeplechase, riding Seaside, which belonged to a fellow 9th Lancers officer.[15] Then on 30 March, at the Liverpool Spring Meeting at Aintree, he won the Champion Steeplechase, again on Soarer.[16] A single day in 1895 also saw him win both the Irish National Hunt Cup (on Dakota) and the Irish Grand Military (on Balbrigan).[1][17]

Grand National success

1896 was his most successful year in sport.

collar bone.[1][22] He is also reported to have won the Grand Military in 1897 (on Parapluie).[1][17]

The 9th Lancers had actually been posted to South Africa in August 1896, arriving at

Muttra, arriving on 10 October 1898; the remainder of the year was spent in exercises around Delhi and Aligarh.[25] Campbell was promoted captain on 3 May 1899.[26]

Boer War

Campbell married Janet Mary Aikman, daughter of Sir Robert Aikman in Kensington in the quarter ending June 1899, and was still on leave until his recall as the regiment was being mobilised for the Second Boer War in September 1899.[9][17][27][28]

He served with the regiment in South Africa 1899–1900, and was part of the force sent to relieve

major on 22 August 1902.[30]

Following the war, the regiment returned to India and was stationed at

lieutenant-colonel and took command of the regiment.[33]

First World War

In the early days of the

Second World War, gave him the further nickname of "Barbara", the reason for which is no longer known.[18]

Post-war

After the War he became

Governors of Malta.[37] Ill-health forced him to resign in 1936, and he died shortly afterwards, on 12 March 1936.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Military Correspondent (13 March 1936). "General Sir David Campbell—Soldier, Sportsman, And Administrator". Obituaries. The Times. No. 47322. London. col B, p. 16.
  2. ^ "Clifton College Register" Muirhead, J.A.O. ref no 2200: Bristol; J.W Arrowsmith for Old Cliftonian Society; April, 1948
  3. ^ "From the London Gazette, Friday, 15 March". Official Appointments and Notices. The Times. No. 32648. London. 16 March 1889. col C, p. 13.
  4. ^ Sheppard, p. 184.
  5. ^ a b c d Sheppard, p. 180.
  6. ^ "No. 26122". The London Gazette. 6 January 1891. p. 104.
  7. ^ a b Sheppard, p. 181.
  8. ^ "Sandown Park Grand Military Meeting, Friday". Sport. The Times. No. 34208. London. 10 March 1894. col F, p. 7.
  9. ^ a b c "Sir David Graham Muschet ('Soarer') Campbell (1869–1936)". Lions led by donkeys. Centre for First World War Studies, University of Birmingham. January 2009. Retrieved 10 February 2009.
  10. ^ "Kempton Park November Meeting, Tuesday". Sport. The Times. No. 34433. London. 28 November 1894. col A, p. 7.
  11. ^ "Kempton Park November Meeting, Wednesday". Sport. The Times. No. 34434. London. 29 November 1894. col A, p. 7.
  12. ^ "Sandown Park December Meeting, Friday". Sport. The Times. No. 34442. London. 8 December 1894. col A, p. 7.
  13. ^ "Kempton Park Christmas Meeting, Wednesday". Sport. The Times. No. 34458. London. 27 December 1894. col C, p. 5.
  14. ^ "Grand Military Meeting (Sandown Park), Friday". Sport. The Times. No. 34520. London. 9 March 1895. col C, p. 13.
  15. ^ "Grand Military Meeting (Sandown Park), Saturday". Sport. The Times. No. 34521. London. 11 March 1895. col A, p. 7.
  16. ^ "Liverpool Spring Meeting, Saturday". Sport. The Times. London. 1 April 1895. col D, p. 7.
  17. ^
    Who Was Who. A & C Black, 1920–2008; online edition, Oxford University Press
    . December 2007. Retrieved 12 March 2009.
  18. ^ a b c d "No.3: 'Soarer' Campbell". Generals' Nicknames. Centre for First World War Studies, University of Birmingham. January 2009. Retrieved 10 February 2009.
  19. ^ "Racquets. The Grand Military Championship Challenge Cup". Sport. The Times. No. 34828. London. 3 March 1896. col B, p. 11.
  20. ^ "Grand Military (Sandown Park) Meeting, Saturday". Sport. The Times. No. 34833. London. 9 March 1896. col A, p. 11.
  21. ^ a b "Liverpool Spring Meeting, Friday. The Grand National Steeplechase". Sport. The Times. No. 34833. London. 28 March 1896. col A, p. 11.
  22. ^ "Liverpool Spring Meeting, Friday". Sport. The Times. No. 35162. London. 27 March 1897. col A, p. 13.
  23. ^ Sheppard, pp. 181–82.
  24. ^ Sheppard, pp. 181, 184.
  25. ^ Sheppard, p. 182.
  26. ^ "No. 27080". The London Gazette. 16 May 1899. p. 3104.
  27. ^ "Index entry". FreeBMD. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 14 April 2009.
  28. ^ Sheppard p. 190.
  29. ^ Hart′s Army list, 1903
  30. ^ "No. 27490". The London Gazette. 31 October 1902. p. 6898.
  31. ^ "No. 27476". The London Gazette. 23 September 1902. p. 6078.
  32. ^ "No. 27657". The London Gazette. 15 March 1904. p. 1692.
  33. ^ "No. 28590". The London Gazette. 15 March 1912. p. 1918.
  34. ^ Holmes, pp. 197, 437.
  35. ^ a b Holmes, p. 197
  36. ^ a b c d "Campbell, Sir David Graham Muschet (1869–1936), General". Survey of the Papers of Senior UK Defence Personnel, 1900–1975. Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives. Retrieved 11 February 2009.
  37. ^ "Malta—Crisis reached—Governor dismisses ministry—Antagonism to British policy". The Canberra Times. Online version, National Library of Australia Newspaper Archives. 4 November 1933. Retrieved 19 February 2009.

Sources

  • Sheppard, (Major) Eric William OBE MC (1939). The Ninth Queen's Own Royal Lancers 1715–1936. Aldershot: Gale & Pollen, Ltd.
  • ISBN 0-00-713752-4
    .

Further reading

External links
Military offices
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