Enlistment Address

228 Harris St, Sydney NSW

Service Number

5996

Unit

13th Battalion

Comment

Gilgandra Coo-ee

Fate

RTA December 1917

Information

Private Robert Clyde Campbell 5996

Robert Clyde Campbell was a single 25 year old farmer when he enlisted with the Coo-ees in Gilgandra and joined the march to Sydney. He stated he had no previous service.  He named his mother, Charlotte Campbell of 286 Harris St, Sydney as his next of kin. Robert was born 2 September 1888 in Castleblaney Ireland.

Robert marched with the Coo-ees until Lithgow, where he was admitted to hospital with typhoid fever. He completed his medical examination on 13 July 1916 at Kiama and was described as 5’ 7” tall, 11st 6lb (72kgs), chest expansion 36-38”’ fair complexion, blue eyes and fair hair. His religion was Church of England. After training at Liverpool, he embarked from Sydney on the HMAT Wiltshire on 22 August 1916 and arrived at Plymouth, England in October 1916. He joined the 13^th Battalion on 16 March, 1917 at Ribemont, France.

Five weeks later, while fighting on the Hindenburg Line in the vicinity of Reincourt on 11 April 1917, Robert suffered a gunshot wound to his left arm. He was one of 118 members of the battalion wounded on that day; with 25 killed and 367 men reported as missing. He was sent to England for treatment and developed the complication of oedema in his leg.

In October 1917 he commenced his return to Australia on the HMAT ‘Berrima’ arriving in Australia on 13 December 1917. He was discharged as medically unfit on 30 January 1918.

Robert lived at ‘Tipperary’ Neilrex via Dunedoo when his pension of 30/- per fortnight was approved 31 January 1918.

He was issued the Victory Medal and the British War Medal. Robert is commemorated on the Gilgandra Coo-ee Gateway Memorial.

During World War Two, Robert joined the 10^th Volunteer Defence Corps on 18 July 1942 at Arncliffe Drill Hall. Private Robert Clyde Campbell Number N335264 was 53 years old and a teacher, his next of kin was his mother, Charlotte Campbell of 3 Prospect Street Carlton NSW.

Any other information about Robert Clyde Campbell is welcome.