Robert Clyde CAMPBELL
Per his military service record (regimental no. 5996), Robert Clyde Campbell was born in Sydney, N.S.W. He gave his age as 25 years, his marital status as single, and his occupation as farmer. His date of joining on the attestation paper at the front of his service record is listed as 9th October 1915, however further pages record that he completed his medical on the 13th July 1916 at Kiama N.S.W., and also signed his service oath at Kiama on the 13th July 1916. His description on his medical was height 5 feet 7 inches tall, weight 11 stone 6 lbs., with a fair complexion, blue eyes, and fair hair. His religious denomination was Church of England. He claimed to have had no previous military service.
“R. C. Campbell” was named in several newspaper articles published at the time as one of the original 25 recruits who signed up for the march in Gilgandra on Saturday 9th October 1915.
Further investigation has found that he did not complete the Coo-ee March. Per a telegram sent to A. H. Miller dated 17th November 1915 in the official correspondence from the march which is held at the State Library of New South Wales, R. C. Campbell was admitted to Lithgow Hospital with Typhoid Fever when the Coo-ees were in Lithgow, where he remained until after the march was completed. He then went to Liverpool Camp as reinforcement for the 13th Battalion.
On his embarkation roll his address at time of enrolment was 286 Harris Street, Sydney, N.S.W., and his next of kin is listed as mother, Mrs C. Campbell, 286 Harris Street, Sydney, N.S.W.
Private Campbell departed Sydney on the HMAT Wiltshire A18 on the 22nd August 1916, arriving at Plymouth on the 13th October 1916. He marched into the 13th Battalion on the 6th March 1917 when it was out of the line at Ribemont, France.
On the 11th April 1917 Private Campbell was with the Battalion when it launched an attack on the Hindenberg Line in the vicinity of Reincourt. During this attack he was wounded receiving a gun shot wound to his left arm. He was one of 118 members of the Battalion wounded. Another 25 were killed and 367 were missing.
Private Campbell was hospitalised and evacuated to England on the 18th July 1917. He developed oedema to his left leg, and on the 31st October 1917 he commenced his return to Australia on the HMAT Berrima, arriving in Australia on the 3oth December 1917. He was discharged as medically unfit on the 30th January 1918.
1915 Coo-ee March 