Remembered today

[Malcolm]

Details

Surname CAMPBELL

Firstname James

Service Number 4474

Date Death 18/12/1914

Decoration

Place of birth St Helen's Lancashire

Other

SNWM roll SCOTS GUARDS

Rank L/Cpl

Theatre of death F.& F.

Name: CAMPBELL, JAMES

Initials: J

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Lance Corporal

Regiment: Scots Guards

Unit Text: 2nd Bn.

Date of Death: 18/12/1914

Service No: 4474

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 1.

Cemetery: PLOEGSTEERT MEMORIAL

Cemetery: PLOEGSTEERT MEMORIAL

Country: Belgium

Locality: Comines-Warneton, Hainaut

Visiting Information: The Panel Numbers quoted at the end of each entry relate to the panels dedicated to the Regiment served with. In some instances where a casualty is recorded as attached to another Regiment, his name may alternatively appear within their Regimental Panels. Please refer to the on-site Memorial Register Introduction to determine the alternative panel numbers if you do not find the name within the quoted Panels.

Location Information: The Ploegsteert Memorial stands in Berks Cemetery Extension, which is located 12.5 kilometres south of Ieper town centre, on the N365 leading from Ieper to Mesen (Messines), Ploegsteert and on to Armentieres. From Ieper town centre the Rijselsestraat runs from the market square, through the Lille Gate (Rijselpoort) and directly over the crossroads with the Ieper ring road. The road name then changes to the Rijselseweg (N336). 3.5 kilometres along the N336 lies a fork junction with the N365. The N365, which forms the right hand fork, leads to the town of Mesen. The Cemetery lies 3 kilometres beyond Mesen on the right hand side of the N365, and opposite Hyde Park Corner Royal Berks Cemetery. The sounding of the Last Post takes place at the Ploegsteert Memorial on the first Friday of every month at 7 p.m.

Historical Information: The PLOEGSTEERT MEMORIAL commemorates more than 11,000 servicemen of the United Kingdom and South African forces who died in this sector during the First World War and have no known grave. The memorial serves the area from the line Caestre-Dranoutre-Warneton to the north, to Haverskerque-Estaires-Fournes to the south, including the towns of Hazebrouck, Merville, Bailleul and Armentieres, the Forest of Nieppe, and Ploegsteert Wood. The original intention had been to erect the memorial in Lille. Those commemorated by the memorial did not die in major offensives, such as those which took place around Ypres to the north, or Loos to the south. Most were killed in the course of the day-to-day trench warfare which characterised this part of the line, or in small scale set engagements, usually carried out in support of the major attacks taking place elsewhere. BERKS CEMETERY EXTENSION, in which the memorial stands, was begun in June 1916 and used continuously until September 1917. At the Armistice, the extension comprised Plot I only, but Plots II and III were added in 1930 when graves were brought in from Rosenberg Chateau Military Cemetery and Extension, about 1 kilometre to the north-west, when it was established that these sites could not be acquired in perpetuity. Rosenberg Chateau Military Cemetery was used by fighting units from November 1914 to August 1916. The extension was begun in May 1916 and used until March 1918. Together, the Rosenberg Chateau cemetery and extension were sometimes referred to as 'Red Lodge'. Berks Cemetery Extension now contains 876 First World War burials. HYDE PARK CORNER (ROYAL BERKS) CEMETERY is separated from Berks Cemetery Extension by a road. It was begun in April 1915 by the 1st/4th Royal Berkshire Regiment and was used at intervals until November 1917. Hyde Park Corner was a road junction to the north of Ploegsteert Wood. Hill 63 was to the north-west and nearby were the 'Catacombs', deep shelters capable of holding two battalions, which were used from November 1916 onwards. The cemetery contains 83 Commonwealth burials of the First World War and four German war graves The cemetery, cemetery extension and memorial were designed by H Chalton Bradshaw, with sculpture by Gilbert Ledward.

No. of Identified Casualties: 11367

This figure includes Foreign and Non-World War graves in CWGC care

Aye

Malcolm

[Will O'Brien]

Raising a glass to James tonight

[Moriaty]

I wonder if my grandfather's best friend, Lieutenant Felix Hanbury-Tracy, who died on 19th December 1914, was part of the same attack L/Cpl James Campbell was killed in?

Felix had served with the Scots Guards, he retired from the active list & joined the Reserve of Officers in 1907 with the rank of Lieutenant. According to Gerald Gliddon's book "The Aristocracy and the Great War" Felix was gazetted to the 3rd Bn on 5 August 1914 and served in the Field from 11 November 1914. He was attached to the 2nd Scots Guards as a Member of F company when he was wounded at the start of the attack on German trenches at Fromelles on the night of 18/19 December. He was wounded a second time on reaching the German parapet. Ignoring all offers of assistance he fell into the German trenches and, died of his wounds a few hours later on the 19th. He was buried in the German cemetery in Fromelles and according to his file in the archives of the Scots Guards, this information was conveyed by the enemy during the Christmas Truce a few days later. His name is commemorated on the Ploegsteert memorial.

My grandfather who was serving with the 6th Welch on lines of communication, based in St Omer, wrote in diary on the 31st December 1914 "Felix is dead", the following day he wrote "Another year. How can it be happy for me with last night's news". My grandfather was killed at Loos nine months later.

Remembering both James and Felix

Moriaty

[ceebee]

Moriaty

Scottish National War Memorial data base records 96 deaths from the Scots Guards on 18 December 1914 and 5, including the Hon. Felix Charles Herbert Hanbury-Tracy, on 19 December 1914. I have done a random sample and all so far are from the 2nd Battalion. It is most likely that Felix was part of the action in which all these men were killed.

A soldier I am researching, Private James Russell of 2nd Battalion, was also killed on 18 December 1914, hence my interest in this thread. Another soldier of note from the 2nd Battalion killed on the same day was 18 years old Lance Corporal Jesse Stead, DCM.

Would you by chance have some details about the action?

Remembering all of them.

Chris

[Moriaty]

No, I'm afraid I dont have any info on the action of the 18/19 December 1914. It is one of the things that I would like to follow up when I have finished finding out about my grandfather, however, progress on that front is steady but slow.

This summer I visited the Ploegsteert Memorial and I am pleased that, 91 years on, these men are not forgotten.

If you manage to get any information on the action I'd be very happy to hear about it!

Moriaty

[dycer]

Chris/Moriaty,

Have you seen the timeline on the Website "Christmas in the Trenches".

You will find a basic outline of the attack on 18/19th December 1914.I am sure it also mentioned in the Book by Malcolm Brown,Sheila? Seaton "Christmas Truce"

My own interest is that the 1/8th Royal Scots"covered the attack of the 2nd Royal Warwick Regiment on 18th December".

Unfortunately I have no other details apart from the fact that my Relatives were serving with the 8th Royal Scots.

George

Edited 20 December , 2005 by dycer

[ceebee]

George

Thanks for the leads. Something to follow through when I get a spare moment.

Moriaty

Ray Westlake's book British Battalions in France and Belgium 1914 has a brief description for the 2nd Scots Guards:

Began attack near Rouges Bancs (18th), "F" and "LF" Companies moving forward with right on Sailly-Fromelles road, "G" Company in support. Heavy cross-fire from machine guns - 4 officers killed and approximately 180 other casualties. Private J. Mackenzie gained Victoria Cross - "For conspicuous bravery near Rouges Bancs on 19th December, 1914, in rescuing a severely wounded man from in front of the German trenches under a very heavy fire, and after a stretcher-bearer party had been compelled to abandon the attempt. Private Mackenzie was subsequently killed on that day whilst in the performance of a similar act of gallant conduct" (London Gazette, 18th February, 1915). Withdrew to Sailly. Returned to front line (23rd).

This is all I have to date.

Chris

[Moriaty]

Thanks for that Ceebee! That is the amazing thing about this Forum...lots more leads for me to follow up (I didnt know about the VC) and more books I'll have to read/buy

Moriaty

[chrisharley9]

from SDGW

Born & resident St Helens

Enlisted Liverpool

KIA