LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer James Chippendall CAMPBELL
Service No: 634
Born: Charters Towers QLD, 22 November 1918
Enlisted in the RAAF: 8 January 1940
Unit: No. 3 Squadron
Died: Air Operations: (No. 3 Squadron Gladiator aircraft K8022), Libya, 25 January 1941, Aged 22 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Forbes and Doris Campbell; husband of Ann Campbell, of Kew, Victoria, Australia. Former Melbourne Editor of Sydney Daily Telegraph
Roll of Honour: Charleville QLD
Remembered: Column 245, Alamein Memorial, Egypt
Remembered: Panel 98, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
One air engagement resulted on 25th January, when five Gladiators patrolling at 2,000 feet, eight miles south-east of Mechili, were attacked by an equal number of G-50 fighters which dived from 10,000 feet. The advantage in height proved decisive. Four Australians escaped in damaged aircraft but Flying Officer Campbell was shot down.
Extract from Herington, J. (John) (406545) Air War Against Germany and Italy 1939-1943, Australian War Memorial, Canberra, 1954 – Page 67
On 25 January 1941, Gladiator K8022 flown by Flying Officer Campbell was flying in a formation of four Gladiators on protective fighter patrol over Australian forward troops in the Mechili area. K8022 was shot down 2 miles east of Segnali (Cyrenaica) at 0830 hours. The Gladiators were attacked by 5 Fiat G50s and the formation scattered. A report by a Support Group that was in the area stated that “one Gladiator was seen to be shot down and the pilot Campbell was already dead when we reached him. He was buried in a location 120 yards on a bearing of 217 degrees from the sign post at Segnali Cross Tracks.”
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 163/25/67