15 replies to this topic

[sabrejet]

I hope this might be of interest - I wasn't previously aware of Malcolm Campbell's military service - especially that of his time with the Royal Flying Corps and RAF. I took a quick look through his RFC record and in case it's of use, I've bullet-pointed his service as follows (apologies if it's a bit heavy with RFC terminology - happy to explain further if required):

 

As a newly-transferred Lieutenant in the RFC (attached from Ex- 2/5^th Royal West Kent Regt) he marched in to No.1 School of Instruction at Reading on 18 September 1916.

 

To 27 Reserve Sqn, London Colney on 30 November 1916 (MFSH/MFLH) for elementary flight instruction.

 

To 28 Sqn at Gosport 14 December 1916.

 

He took his RAeC ticket (No.4301) on 27^th February 1917, tested by Mr. Bucknall. His RAeC photo (I assume taken some time after its award) shows FE.2b 6969 “Malaya No. XVIII - The Singapore No.1“ in the background. This machine was donated on 23 May 1916 and served with 23 Sqn from/by October 1916 and was struck off on 11 May 1917. I’m assuming that the photo was taken at SARD (see below).

 

Attached to No.1 Aux School of Air Gunnery 27 February 1917.

 

Returned to 28 Sqn at Gosport 3 March 1917.

 

Marched in to Southern Aircraft Repair Depot, Farnborough 7 April 1917 as Ferry Pilot.

 

To Lympne Aeroplane Erection Park on 21 May 1917 as Ferry Pilot.

 

To Lympne Aircraft Acceptance Park 2 September 1917 as Assistant Officer i/c Despatch; the unit became No.8 AAP on 12 October.

 

He received a Medical Board on 22 October 1917, which seems to mark the end of his flying career: he was assessed as, “Unfit General Service 2 mths, Home Service 1 mth, fit Light Duties no flying”.

 

On 5 December 1917 Campbell was posted to No.5 School of Military Aeronautics at Denham, his RFC record appended, “view to apt as Asst Instr for 6 SMA”. 6 SMA was scheduled to form at Bristol early in 1918 but Campbell would remain at Denham as a ground instructor.

 

Subsequent Medical Boards reported of him:

14 December 1917: unfit GS 1 mth, fit HS 1 mth lim flying, dual at first.

3 January 1918: unfit GS 2 mths, fit HS 1 mth no flying.

25 January 1918: unfit GS 1 mth, fit HS 1 mth no flying.

25 February 1918: unfit GS 2 mths, fit HS 1 mth no flying PUPO [permanently unfit as pilot officer?]

 

Census 68 around this time reported, “Flying Officer knowledge of French & German. Built own machine in 1909. Experience in high speed petrol engines from amateur motor car racing. Since joining RFC [has flown] BE.2c, [BE.] 2e, FE.2b, [FE.]2d, AW, SE.5, DH.4, Henry [Farman], Martinsyde”.

 

He received a Medical Board at Hampstead on 1 May 1918: “Unfit GS, Fit HS ground duty only”; another MB of 31 July 1918 confirmed the previous findings.

 

On 3 September 1918 (effective 13 June) he was re-classified from Flying A & S to Tech B and promoted to temporary Captain while so employed. Another Medical Board of 5 September found him Fit HS Ground duties only.

 

On 4^th February 1919 he reported to the Crystal Palace Dispersal Centre and was placed on the Unemployed List the following day.

 

London Gazette of 3 June 1919: awarded Military MBE.

 

I expect his army career is detailed somewhere - assume service with the BEF?

[Odseybod]

Interesting, thanks for posting.

 

A little Googling suggests he was just over 31 when he transferred to the RFC (b. March 1885), so perhaps a bt long in the tooth to learn new tricks. Or was there some underlying health issue that caused him to be grounded?

[f1steveuk]

I think Malcolm was originally grounded after he ditched in the channel on one ferry mission. It wasn't so much the ditching, but the fact he had, withoutt permission, taken a passenger with him for the fight back to the English Coast.

 

He later went into logistics, revolutionising the methods used to get various items to the battle front. Indeed, after being mentioned in dispatches by Kitchener himself, he went from Captain to Major.

 

(From memory, normal disclaimers apply but can be read in my book about the Campbells, which I really must get a copy of as I can't remember everything in it!!)

[RS2000]

Major being a temporary, not substantive, rank? - he seems to have been referred to later on as "Captain Campbell".

[David Birchall]

At the risk of getting a bollocking for going off topic, I recently read both volumes of Ralph Barker's "The Royal Flying Corps in France". A good read and makes you glad (again) that you were not around in that time. One of the things I learned, and was very surprised by, was that towards the end of the war British SE5As and Sopwith Camels were going to 20,000 feet to intercept German raiders! I find that stunning given that they had no oxygen-and of course no parachute as a result of the ****s in the British High Command. Tremendous skill, tenacity and bravery, on both sides.

[Odseybod]

(at the risk of a joint bollocking)  Wow! I assume that was in pursuit of the height-climber dirigibles, as wouldn't think a heavily loaded Gotha or even Staaken would make that altitude. Very surprising that the Camel's (Bentley?) rotary and SE5a's water-cooled Hissy or Wolseley V8 didn't run out of puff or suffer from carb icing, never mind the effect on the pilot. Heroic indeed.

[f1steveuk]

Major being a temporary, not substantive, rank? - he seems to have been referred to later on as "Captain Campbell".

May well have been. He went on in WWII to set up a motorcycle patrol force along the south coast with his friend and project manager (and no mean racer and record breaker) Goldie Gardner

[sabrejet]

Major being a temporary, not substantive, rank? - he seems to have been referred to later on as "Captain Campbell".

 

It was quite common in WW1 to have a temporary rank, but a t/Maj would still be referred to as 'major'. However at the end of the war many reverted to their substantive rank.

 

Back (sort of) on-topic, it's worth mentioning that the military in WW1 was responsible for the increasing familiarity of the working classes in driving motorised vehicles. The RFC and army also at this time carried 'chauffeur' as a trade - even during the Great War. 

 

Another RFC pilot during the 14-18 war was George Eyston, though I can't find much about him.

[RS2000]

Yes that's exactly what I was saying.

[Sharman]

....and wasn't Goldie Gardner a half colonel?

[Vitesse2]

....and wasn't Goldie Gardner a half colonel?

By the end of WW2, yes. When demobbed after WW1 he was a major - there are many contemporaneous references to him as 'Major Gardner', a rank he quickly regained after re-enlisting as a humble 2nd lieutenant. He retired again as a Lieutenant-Colonel.

[Glengavel]

Isn't it customary for retired officers to bump themselves up the ladder a couple of places when they retire? Not that such honourable (or famous) figures as Campbell or Gardner would do such a thing of course.

[Vitesse2]

Inter-war, I think a fair few did. I've seen it suggested that some did it because many second-hand car salesmen were self-describing as captains - either real or fictional - and that rank in particular became something of a pointer to people who were perhaps less than trustworthy. Even post-WW2 I think that stigma remained - weren't most of the League of Gentlemen ex-captains?

 

Equally, as sabrejet pointed out, some promotions were war-substantive, which meant that they were in effect temporary ranks: you might be a war-substantive major, but would retire on a captain's pension. But you still had a uniform with the insignia of a major on it ... 

[ensign14]

Isn't it customary for retired officers to bump themselves up the ladder a couple of places when they retire? Not that such honourable (or famous) figures as Campbell or Gardner would do such a thing of course.

 

I am sure I read somewhere that retiring officers would retire on the next rank up.  So the plethora of Majors post-war (e.g. Gowen) would have been Captains on the field.

[f1steveuk]

Goldie was known around Brooklands and the MG factory as the "Limping Major", because he limped, and was a ........................

[bradbury west]

O/T a bit, - join the club -,  but at last year's FoS I finished up chatting to a very amenable man who was earnestly into local history for the Chislehurst and Reigate areas, and he mentioned that he had done a lot of research into the various homes, incl. final resting place etc. of Sir Malcolm Campbell and his  earlier family. He was kind enough to send me Word docs with detailed narratives and photographs.

For reasons which must be obvious, I cannot post his material here, but if anyone wants a copy for personal archives only, I will be pleased to e mail the docs. Please PM me unless you already have my e mail.  His name is Michael  Lewis and I will attach his  email to me, for clarification and in case of  the need for you to contact him. Working on a 2 way traffic basis, I am sure he would welcome any extra  details which TNFers might be able to add to his records. He was fascinated by the fact that there were many of a similar Campbell interest on TNF

Roger Lund