Lorne MacLaine Campbell

Early life

Lorne MacLaine Campbell was the eldest of three sons of Colonel Ian Maxwell Campbell and Hilda Mary Wade. He was schooled at the Dulwich College Preparatory School, and then at Dulwich College in South London between 1915 and 1921 (as was his uncle and fellow recipient of the Victoria Cross, Vice Admiral Gordon Campbell). Between 1921 and 1925 he attended Merton College, Oxford, where he was President of the Junior Common Room and of the Myrmidon Club and graduated with a second class degree in Literae Humaniores.

Military service

Campbell was commissioned as a second lieutenant into the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Territorial Army) on 23 September 1921.

World War II

In August 1939, shortly before the outbreak of World War II, Campbell's unit, the 8th (Argyllshire) Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders was mobilised for war service. Serving as part of the 154th Infantry Brigade of Major General Victor Fortune's 51st (Highland) Infantry Division, the battalion endured months of training before departing for service overseas in France as part of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in January 1940. During the Battle of France in May–June 1940 Campbell was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) for gallant leadership during the 51st Division's entrapment at Saint-Valery-en-Caux, where most of the division, including the divisional commander, Major General Fortune, were captured.

After returning to the United Kingdom the battalion, which had suffered very heavy losses, was reformed with large numbers of reinforcements. At the Second Battle of El Alamein in late 1942, he received a Bar to his DSO for his part in the capture of important objectives. In 1942 and 1943, he commanded the 7th Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in North Africa, during which time he was awarded his VC, and in April 1943, Campbell became acting commander of the 153rd Infantry Brigade.

He took command of the 13th Infantry Brigade in May 1943, serving in Syria, Egypt, Sicily and Italy until September 1944. Within this period, for eight days in April 1944, he was acting General Officer Commanding, 5th Infantry Division, at the time serving in the Anzio beachhead in Italy. Campbell ended the war in the United States, Washington D.C. as a brigadier with the British Army Staff.

Victoria Cross

Campbell was a 40 years old temporary Lieutenant colonel in the 7th Battalion, The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's), British Army, during the Second World War at Wadi Akarit in Tunisia. The citation in the London Gazette read:

On the 6th April, 1943, in the attack upon the Wadi Akarit position, the task of breaking through the enemy minefield and anti-tank ditch to the East of the Roumana feature and of forming the initial bridgehead for a Brigade of the 51st Highland Division was allotted to the Battalion of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Campbell. The attack had to form up in complete darkness and had to traverse the main offshoot of the Wadi Akarit at an angle to the line of advance. In spite of heavy machine gun and shell fire in the early stages of the attack, Lieutenant-Colonel Campbell successfully accomplished this difficult operation, captured at least 600 prisoners and led his Battalion to its objective, having to cross an unswept portion of the enemy minefield in doing so. Later, upon reaching his objective he found that a gap which had been blown by the Royal Engineers in the anti-tank ditch did not correspond with the vehicle lane which had been cleared in the minefield. Realising the vital necessity of quickly establishing a gap for the passage of anti-tank guns, he took personal charge of this operation. It was now broad daylight and, under very heavy machine-gun fire and shell fire, he succeeded in making a personal reconnaissance and in conducting operations which led to the establishing of a vehicle gap. Throughout the day Lieutenant-Colonel Campbell held his position with his Battalion in the face of extremely heavy and constant shell fire, which the enemy was able to bring to bear by direct observation. About 1630 hours determined enemy counter-attacks began to develop, accompanied by tanks. In this phase of the fighting Lieutenant-Colonel Campbell's personality dominated the battle field by a display of valour and utter disregard for personal safety, which could not have been excelled. Realising that it was imperative for the future success of the Army plan to hold the bridgehead his Battalion had captured, he inspired his men by his presence in the forefront of the battle, cheering them on and rallying them as he moved to those points where the fighting was heaviest. When his left forward company was forced to give ground he went forward alone, into a hail of fire and personally reorganised their position, remaining with the company until the attack at this point was held. As reinforcements arrived upon the scene he was seen standing in the open directing the fight under close range fire of enemy infantry and he continued to do so although already painfully wounded in the neck by shell fire. It was not until the battle died down that he allowed his wound to be dressed. Even then, although in great pain, he refused to be evacuated, remaining with his Battalion and continuing to inspire them by his presence on the field. Darkness fell with the Argylls still holding their positions, though many of its officers and men had become casualties. There is no doubt that but for Lieutenant-Colonel Campbell's determination, splendid example of courage and disregard of pain, the bridgehead would have been lost. This officer's gallantry and magnificent leadership when his now tired men were charging the enemy with the bayonet and were fighting them at hand grenade range, are worthy of the highest honour, and can seldom have been surpassed in the long history of the Highland Brigade.

Personal life

In December 1935 he married Amy Muriel Jordan. The couple had two sons, Alastair Lorne Campbell of Airds (b. 1937) and Patrick Gordon Campbell (b. 1939).

He is buried in Warriston Cemetery in Edinburgh in the upper northern section. His medals are on display at the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Museum in Stirling Castle.