campbell

LT COLIN CAMPBELL
Argyle & Sutherland Highlanders/ Chindits/ Nigeria Regt
Royal West African Frontier Force
Died 14th June 1944 aged 30

Colin Campbell born 1914 was brought up in Shawlands and went to Shawlands High School in Glasgow. He was a member of the 45th Glasgow Company both Junior and Senior of the Boys Brigade 1926-1929.

My grandfather was in the Chindits and may have been with the Staffordshire regiment as I believe there was a mess and he got to know a Lt. Col Degg who may have returned to a Major's role in peacetime. A letter also exists from a Major General Lentaigne Special Forces India Command and a letter from an RAF Corporal Charles Jamieson 1020627 12 Section RAF Prestwick Ayrshire.

In Colin's diary he says he volunteered for the Chindits calling it "Wingates Mob" on 16 Feb 1944.

He left Lagos on 5th March 1944 on a Caledonia Flying boat to Leopoldville then onto Stanleyville and Stanley falls on to Khartoum, to Cairo , then Palestine and then Basra. The journey did not stop there , his diary entry continues to Karachi, Hyderabad, Delhi to Talabata and 3rd West African Infantry .

Last place name in diary in Jhansi on 20th March 1944, 3 months before his death on 14th June 1944.

There is a book called "he March Out" by a James Shaw who had joined the Chindits as an infantry man of 40. He was a Sgt with the 12th Batt The Nigeria Regt.

"Near Padigahtawng we met some of the 14th Brigade, and learned the sad news about two old friends Lts Campbell and Galbraith. The latter had lost his spectacles, without which he was severely handicapped, and was killed soon afterwards, and the fiery Campbell had volunteered for all kinds of dangerous jobs until an unlucky bullet ended his venturesome career..."

"Hello, I'm a first time visitor to the Burma Star Assoc website and to this forum. Things like this make the web invaluable. My grandfather was with the Argylls, then the Chindits and died in Burma 1944. I am looking for information , links, resources about his regiment and his time there so I can present some information to my mother and uncle and learn a bit about him myself. Any information, leads , hints and tips would me greatly appreciated. Thank you. Alasdair" Alasdair is on ellenandali@mac.com