South Warwickshire Family History Society War Memorial Transcription Project

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The Fallen Men of South Warwickshire - World War One


Major Montagu Irving Mitchell CAMPBELL MC - 6th Battalion Connaught Rangers

1s
Died of Wounds on Monday September 4th 1916 aged 36

 Montagu Campbell grave for M Campbell

Military History

     
Theatre of War WW1 Medals Commonwealth War Grave or Memorial
France and Flanders 1914 Star, British War & Victory Medals Dive Copse British Cemetery
     
Arrived in Theatre Other Medals SWFHS Area Memorials
9 Nov 1914 in France  Military Cross, Mentioned in Despatches Snitterfield
     
Action, Battle or Other Reason Killed Date and Place Enlisted Other War Memorials
Battle of Guillemont (Somme) Commissioned 5 Jun 1900 Cumnock War Memorial
    Folkstone Roll of Honour
Place of Death Previous Regiments or Units  
XIV Corps Main Dressing Station, Sailly-le-Sec  3rd Bn Connaught Rangers   
  2nd Bn Welsh Regiment  

Military Service History

  • 1899 - 1902 - Served in South African War - awarded Queens South Africa Medal
  • 5 Jun 1900 - Commissioned as 2nd Lt in Imperial Yeomanry
  • 12 Apr 1901 - Appointed Lt in 4th Battalion, Connaught Rangers
  • 9 Nov 1914 - Arrived in France with 2nd Bn Welsh Regiment
  • 9 May 1915 - Wounded and invalided home
  • 9 May 1915 - Promoted to Major
  • 22 Jun 1915 - Military Cross was awarded in King's Birthday Honours List (Gazette) for "Remaining in Command of his Company until the evening, though wounded at dawn.
  • 22 Jun 1915 - Mentioned in Despatches

Circumstances of Death

Major Campbell is listed as being dying of wounds on 4 Sep 1916. The CWGC Grave Registration states that he was with 6th Connaught Rangers and research shows that he was wounded on 3 Sep 1916 during the battalions attack on Guillemont. He most likely died at the XIV Corps Main Dressing Station, Sailly-le-Sec which is the only medical unit listed as using Dive Copse Cemetery. The following description of the events of 3 Sep 1916 is an extract from the book The 6th Connaught Rangers : Belfast Nationalists and the Great War by Harry Donaghy; Dr. Richard Grayson; Sean O’ Hare (click here for Amazon listing).

In September [1916], 47 Brigade moved to the Somme area, close to the small village of Guillemont. On arriving in the area, the Connaughts faced the familiar routine of improving badly damaged trenches, and the Germans continued to inflict heavy casualties through shelling. On 2 September alone, the 6th Connaughts’ B Company lost ten men killed, with a further thirty wounded.10 The next day, they did what they had come to the Somme to do.

At 5am on 3 September, the battalion drew up for the attack. The whole of 47 Brigade was temporarily attached to the 20th Division. The plan was for three successive waves of troops to take the village. C and D companies of the 6th Connaughts were to attack in the first wave. In the second and third waves, platoons of B Company would plug the gaps in C Company’s lines, and platoons from A Company would do the same for D.

At 8am, the Germans received the familiar warning of an imminent attack: a heavy bombardment from British lines. Yet some of the heavy trench mortars being used in the attack fell short with tragic results. Waiting in ‘Rim Trench’ the Connaughts’ C Company endured not only retaliatory fire from the Germans but ‘friendly fire’ from the British lines. By 12 noon, as the bombardment continued, casualties numbered nearly two hundred.

With C Company in no fit state for the first attack troops intended for the second wave replaced them. Then, for three minutes, the Royal Field Artillery let go ‘an intense barrage’ of the German front. Unlike the bombardment in late June, this was successful. Advancing on the enemy, the Connaughts found opposition weak in some places, but on the right, there was heavier resistance, but 47 Brigade soon overcame that, before cleaning up pockets of resistance holed out in various areas.

Private Thomas Hughes of the 6th Connaughts (and a native of County Monaghan) was wounded in the initial attack, but had wounds dressed and returned to the firing line. Having done so, he spotted a German machine gun which was causing great damage. Hughes ran out ahead of his company, shot the gunner and captured the gun. He was wounded doing this but went on to bring back four prisoners. For these acts of ‘most conspicuous bravery and determination’ Hughes was awarded the battalion’s only Victoria Cross of the war.

Among the dead officers was the 6th Connaughts’ commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel J.S.M. Lenox-Conyngham.



 Personal & Family History

 

Birth Date/Place Baptism Date/Place
13 Nov 1879 at Glaisnock House, Old Cumnock  
   
Parents Names Abode
Robert Mitchell and Marianne Letitia Campbell Glaisnock House, Old Cumnock 
   
Wife and Marriage Details Children
Elinor Hope Campbell nee Scott of Snitterfield Maud Elinor born 30 Apr 1916 - Baptised at Snitterfield
20 Jul 1915 at St. Cuthbert's, Kensington  
   
Schools Schools
Sutherland House School, Folkestone Eton School 1893 - 1895
   
Address History Employment History
1879 - Glaisnock House, Old Cumnock 1890 - Scholar
1881 - Glaisnock House, Old Cumnock 1893 - Scholar
1891 - Not found 1900 - Soldier
1901 - 3 Clifton Gardens, Folkstone 1914 - Army Officer in Behar Light Horse
1911 - India  
1915 - Philbeach Gardens, Kensington