Other Information
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission lists 337 Private John Campbell in their records, however we are now satisfied that we have identified the correct individual.
Census 1901 at Forth Bridge Huts, North Queensferry has a John Campbell (16) born Peterhead, Roperunner, son of John (58) rigger, born Nairn, and Isabella (54) born Kinmundy, Aberdeenshire.
He emigrated to Australia and married Amy Dorothy Chalmers on 31 May 1911 at Wayville, South Australia. He became a Coal Lumper, but enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on 4 February 1916.
The battalion were part of the 11th Australian Infantry Brigade serving in the 3rd Australian Division. They sailed from Adelaide in the transport Africa on the 9th June 1916 disembarking in Marseilles in France on the 20th July 1916.
He and at least some of the unit seem to have been at Larkhill in England in September, when he went absent without leave for a morning, which earned a seven day confinement to barracks and the loss of a day’s pay. He was sent back to France on 25 November 1916.
The 43rd Battalion War diary records that the battalion moved out of camp at 8:00 p.m. on the 30th of July 1917, in preparation for the great infantry assault which was the start of the 3rd Battle of Ypres.
They were transported by 32 Lorries close to the front at Souvenir Farm. In the assault, the battalion suffered 221 casualties, killed, missing or wounded, including John, whose body was never identified.
