Private Sidney Frederick Campbell
Service #: 4749
Summary
BACKGROUND
Sidney Frederick Campbell was born in Port Macquarie on the 20th March 1892, son of William & Rebecca Mary (Wilkins) Campbell. His Christian name was registered as Sydney. According to NSWBDM he was one of 10 children with 6 brothers & 3 sisters. Two of his older brothers, Bruce & Henry, enlisted and embarked on the same ship and served with him in the 9th Battalion
Sidney’s father, William, was a pioneer of the Tweed. With his passing, William Campbell, late of "Rocklands," Tweed Heads, in 1930 came the breaking of another link with the pioneering past. The deceased gentleman, who was 83 years of age, was born in the Hunter River district, but portion, of his life was also, spent in the Macleay River district. He came to the Tweed with his family in 1900 and engaged in cane growing and dairying pursuits. Since 1916 he has lived in quiet retirement at Tweed Heads, his "Rocklands" estate on Cobaki Creek being worked by his sons.
Sidney’s uncle, Robert was also a pioneer of the Tweed. He came to the Tweed from Macleay district, in 1898, and took up land at Tygalgah. After a short period, he was appointed secretary of Tweed River Agricultural Society, which position he held for many years. The society was then in its infancy, and it was largely through Mr. Campbell's work and guidance that it was placed on a successful foundation. Later Mr. Campbell was appointed town clerk of Murwillumbah and he occupied that office when the disastrous fire occurred in the town in 1907. He also held the position of municipal clerk of works, being the first to occupy that office, and carried out the duties entailed in conjunction with those of town clerk. When the Tweed River Co-operative Butter Company was formed and the factory taken over from Prescott's Ltd., Mr. Campbell received the appointment of secretary, and for some years continued to carry out the duties of town clerk in addition. He was secretary of the butter company until the amalgamation with Norco Ltd., when he retired. Despite the tremendous demand on his time
and energies, Mr. Campbell, also filled the office of Assistant Returning Officer in charge of the Murwillumbah subdivision for many years.
Sidney, together with his brothers Bruce & Henry, travelled to Brisbane on the 3rd November 1915 to complete his application. He answered several questions on the document, and we find out he was a single man and gave his occupation as farmer. His next of kin was his mother, Rebecca, of Rocklands, Tweed Heads
Item 11 asks-Do you now belong to, or have you ever served in His Majesty’s Army, the Militia, the Militia Reserve, the Territorial Forces, Royal Navy or Colonial Forces? If so, state which, and is not now serving, state cause of discharge. Sidney stated he had been with the Light Horse for 18 months.
HOME MILITIA
During WWI, Australia’s home militia was known as the Citizen Forces. Under the Universal Service Scheme, military training was compulsory for young men. While strictly confined to homeland defence, the militia served as the backbone of early deployments and a vital training ground for the oversea
Enacted in 1911, it mandated military training for males aged 12 to 26. This included Junior Cadets (12–14), Senior Cadets (14–18), and the Home Defence Militia (18–26).
No Overseas Service: By law, members of the Citizen Forces could not be deployed to fight overseas. To fight in Europe or the Middle East, militiamen had to volunteer to join the separate Australian Imperial Force (AIF). Up to 50,000 militiamen enlisted in the AIF during the war.
He then signed a declaration confirming he had answered the questions correctly and was willing to voluntarily agree to service in the Military Forces of the Commonwealth of Australia
PAGE 2
CERTIFICATE OF ATTESTING OFFICER
On the second page of the attestation documents the attesting confirms the following; “The foregoing questions were read to the person enlisted in my presence. I have taken care that he understood each question, and his answer to each question has been duly entered as replied to by him”
OATH
He also made the following oath in the presence of the Attesting Officer: “I, Sidney Frederick Campbell, swear that I will well and truly serve our Sovereign Lord the King in the Australian Imperial Force until the end of the War, and a further four months thereafter unless sooner lawfully discharged, dismissed or removed therefrom: and that I will resist His Majesty’s enemies and case His Majesty’s peace to be kept and maintained; and I will in all matters appertaining to my services faithfully discharge my duty according to law
He then signed a declaration confirming he had answered the questions correctly and was willing to voluntarily agree to service in the Military Forces of the Commonwealth of Australia
PAGE 3
MEDICAL EXAMINATION
Sidney was 23 years 7 months old when he enlisted. He stood 5 ft 8 inches tall (1.72m) and weighed 135lbs (61 kgs). He had a fair complexion, grey eyes and brown hair. His eyesight was good. He had a mole on his back. Sidney was Presbyterian
CERTIFICATE OF MEDICAL EXAMINER
The medical examiner certifies I have examined the abovenamed person, and find that he does not present any of the following conditions, viz: -
Scrofula; phthisis; syphilis; impaired constitution; defective intelligence; defects of vision, voice, or hearing; hernia’ haemorrhoids; varicose veins, beyond a limited extent; marked varicocele with unusually pendent testicle; inveterate cutaneous disease’ chronic ulcers; traces of corporal punishment or evidence of having been marked with the letters D. or B.C; contracted or deformed chest; abnormal curvature of spine; or any other disease or physical defect calculated to unfit him for the duties of a soldier.
He can see the required distance with either eye; his heart and lungs are healthy; he has the free use of his joints and limbs; and he declares he is not subject to fits of any description. I consider him fit for active service
CERTIFICATE OF COMMANDING OFFICER
This is completed during the recruits training. Robert was in Enoggera training camp when this was completed on 8th March 1916. The commanding officer certifies that this attestation of the abovenamed person is correct, and that the required forms have been complied with. He then states “I accordingly approve, and appoint him a private win the 9th Infantry Battalion with service number 4749
TRAINING AT RIFLE RANGE CAMP, ENOGGERA
As was the case with men from the Northern Rivers district in New South Wales, the brothers trained at Rifle Range Camp, Enoggera near Brisbane. The Barracks Block was built as accommodation for men in two dormitories, each 36 feet by 22 feet (10.97 x 6.7 metres). Beds or bunks were not provided, instead each man slept on a palliasse with ground sheet on the floor. For many it was their first time away from home. Men from every walk of life, from clerks and teachers to factory and shop workers, were crammed together
Now training for the new recruits began. Firstly, the recruits had to be inducted into military forms of discipline, command, and order. This was partially achieved through a program of basic training carried and, in a sense, was maintained for a long as a man was in the service. It involved marching and drilling with the rifle, cleaning and caring for personal equipment and being supervised and inspected in ways quite different to ordinary civilian life. For example, no boots should be allowed to get in a bad state of wear but must be sent to the bootmaker without delay for repair. Men who were found with hair long and unshaven had to have a haircut and shave
Secondly, after basic training there followed the far more serious exercise of turning a man into a fighting soldier at least partially prepared for the kind of warfare he was about to experience overseas. The topics and exercises in the syllabus of training were a world away from their former lives and included daily physical training, entrenching, wiring, firing rifle grenades, firing the Lewis light machine gun, dealing with gas attack, using hand grenades, using the bayonet, and the routines to be followed in the trenches.
This training was then put into practice during what were called ‘Field Days,’ when men would practice using the skills they had acquired in mock attacks both by day and by night. How well men had learnt to use their weapons, in cooperation with each other in training, would be tested in the harsh reality of the front line. Training could take several months
INNOCULATIONS
All recruits were given a range of inoculations while in camp. The most important jab was to protect against smallpox and typhoid – indeed, having this was an essential precondition of enlisting.
THE UNIFORM
The recruits were issued with their uniform- service dress jacket was made of Australian wool and its loose fit gave the wearer more allowance for movement. The four large pockets were very useful. A unique feature designed for comfort was the pleated back, which provided a double thickness of cloth down the back that the pack rubbed against. Breeches were corduroy worn with wool wrap puttees. The famous khaki felt slouch hat or early service cap is probably the most distinctive part of the uniform. turned up on the left and featuring a plain khaki band, chinstrap and “rising sun” badge.
SOLDIER’S KIT
Australia's World War I soldiers went to war weighed down by almost 30 kilograms of clothes, weapons, tools and kit.
· Breeches: made from khaki woollen cord fabric, with side pockets and button flies. Soldiers were issued with two pairs of breeches, plus a pair of dungarees. The breeches ended above the ankles and the gap was filled with puttees.
· Braces: worn with breeches.
· Puttees: The men wound these strips of woollen cloth, almost three metres long, upwards from the ankle to just below the knee. Soldiers disliked the puttees, probably with good reason: the tight binding restricted circulation and might even have contributed to the high incidence of trench foot. Mounted troops wore leather leggings.
· Shirt: Soldiers were given two grey, collarless, flannel shirt, plus a military shirt.
· Ankle boots: brown and lace-up.
· Socks: Made from wool or cotton. Soldiers were issued with three pairs.
· Greatcoat: the khaki woollen coat (which weighed about 3kg) often doubled as a soldier's bedding and was his chief protection against the cold and wet. The coat came into its own when snow hit Gallipoli in November 1915 and also on the Western Front.
· Jersey
· Singlets: Soldiers were issued with 2 woollen singlets.
· Cotton "drawers" (underpants): Soldiers were issued with two pairs.
· Abdominal belts: a sort of cummerbund that was issued to keep soldiers warm and supposedly ward off disease.
· Backpacks and webbing: The main backpack was a rectangular sack measuring about 15 inches x 13 inches, closed at the top by a folding cover secured by two straps. The webbing included a web belt, cartridge pouches, small haversack, bayonet frog, an entrenching tool holder (plus another holder for its handle), and a water-bottle holder.
· Identity disc: Soldiers were initially issued with one medal "dog tag" on a cord, but later in the war they were given two tags, made of compressed fibre.
· Soldiers were also issued with a "housewife" - a sewing kit containing such items as needles, thimble, thread, wool and button so they could carry out running repairs.
· Also in their kit were a short-magazine Lee-Enfield (SMLE) rifle, a rifle sling, a bayonet and scabbard, and an "entrenching tool" (they were "diggers" after all). This came in two parts, with the helve (handle) separate from the spade part.
· Soldiers were issued with eating equipment (knife, fork, spoon, an enamel mug, water bottle (with two-point capacity), and a mess tin with carrier.
· They also had a clasp knife (with marlin spike, tin-opener and lanyard), razor, shaving kit, soap, comb, two towels, field dressing (carried in the tunic's inside pocket), and a hold-all, in which they could pack their private possessions.
· No item was probably looked after more carefully than their service pay book: privates were paid five shillings a day.
VOYAGE OVERSEAS FROM BRISBANE TO EGYPT MARCH 1916
On the 28TH March 1916 the recruits left Brisbane, sailing upon the HMAT A73 Commonwealth. Alongside his comrades, Sidney, Henry & Bruce, marched aboard, their boots ringing on the gangway. As the ship’s lines were cast off and the quay began to slip away, the reality of war lay ahead, but for now, the sea breeze carried only the sound of voices and the excitement of men bound for adventure, duty, and the unknown.
SLEEPING & LIVING ARRANGEMENTS
Recruits likely slept in a crowded troop deck below, where rows of hammocks or three-tier wooden bunks were crammed close together.
Air below decks could be stuffy, especially in warmer climates, and seasickness was common during the first few days.
DAILY ROUTINE
Reveille early each morning, followed by physical exercises on the open decks (weather permitting). There were parades and inspections—officers ensured uniforms, rifles, and kit were clean and in order. Training was a little problematic—drill without much space, rifle maintenance, lectures on military discipline, signalling, and trench warfare theory. The ship’s decks were used for marching in tight circles or practising bayonet thrusts into stuffed sacks. Rifle shooting was impossible at sea, so soldiers learned to strip and clean their weapons until it was second nature.
MEALS
Three hearty meals a day were served; breakfast usually consisted of porridge, stew, and tea. Lunch included soup, meat, vegetables, and pudding. Meat, bread with jam and tea was served for dinner. The meals were served in shifts from the ship’s galley. Queues were long, and eating on a rolling ship meant many tried to eat quickly before nausea set in.
HEALTH & SANITATION
Shipboard hygiene was critical—every man was ordered to scrub his section daily to prevent disease. Saltwater baths were the norm, with freshwater rationed for drinking.
THE VOYAGE EXPERIENCE
Entertainment included church drill, concerts, singalongs, card games, and makeshift cricket matches on deck when the weather allowed. To keep up morale, an area of the ship was roped off where regular boxing and wrestling tournaments were held. This became commonly known as the Stoush Stadium. No letters could be sent until they reached port, but men often wrote diaries or unsent letters to be posted later.
The troops engaged in lifebelt drill; a cookhouse on deck; soldiers on fatigues peeling potatoes 'spud bashing'; going to the dentist; barber, pay day; soldiers cleaning personal equipment; medical inspection
CROSSING THE EQUATOR CEREMONY
The crossing the Equator ceremony, ‘Neptune’s Journey,’ was played-out on each troopship.
SIGHTS AT SEA
On the way to Egypt the ship would pass through the Great Australian Bight, cross the Indian Ocean, and stop at Colombo (Ceylon now Sri Lanka) for coal and supplies.
SECURITY
By late 1914, German raiders were active, so lifeboat drills were frequent, and lookouts kept watch for suspicious ships. Troopships generally sailed in convoys or at least took zig-zag courses to make torpedo attacks harder. Ships often travelled under blackout conditions at night, with lookouts specifically watching for periscopes or torpedo wakes.
APPROACHING EGYPT
After several weeks at sea, the men finally saw the dusty shoreline of Port Said or Alexandria. The reality of leaving home truly sank in. The recruits would soon exchange the ship’s cramped decks for the sandy training grounds of Egypt, preparing for what lay ahead.
APPROACHING EGYPT
After several weeks at sea, the men finally saw the dusty shoreline of Port Said or Alexandria. The reality of leaving home truly sank in. The recruits would soon exchange the ship’s cramped decks for the sandy training grounds of Egypt, preparing for what lay ahead.
EGYPTIAN TRAINING CAMP
The ship arrived in late April. The men boarded the troop train taking them to one of the Egyptian training camps. When the train finally rattled into the siding near the camp, the soldiers found themselves staring at an extraordinary sight — the vast Pyramids looming on the horizon, their ancient stones glowing gold in the late afternoon sun. Rows of khaki tents stretched out across the sand, the dust curling in little eddies around the tent pegs.
This camp provided the final preparation for entrainment to Alexandria and the Western Front. The camps screened soldiers arriving in Egypt, checking for any illnesses such as measles which can break out when people are crowded together for long periods.
During an interim period, soldiers typically:
· Recovered from the voyage: After long sea travel from Australia, troops needed time to rest and regain strength.
· Underwent medical inspections: To check for illnesses, infections, or conditions like venereal disease that might delay their training.
· Received equipment and uniforms: Egypt's heat made the heavy wool uniforms uncomfortable. As a result, lighter clothing was often issued or obtained locally. Soldiers frequently wore:
ü Khaki cotton shirts without the tunic
ü Lightweight drill uniforms made from cotton
ü Shorts on some occasions, particularly in camp
ü Pith helmets or sun helmets for fatigue duties and work in the sun, although the slouch hat remained the iconic Australian headgear
· Were assigned to training battalions: Administrative processing sorted soldiers into reinforcement drafts for specific front-line battalions.
· Drilled lightly: They performed light drills, parades, and familiarisation routines while waiting for formal training slots to open.
They had already completed their basic training in Australia but over many more tough months, in a training camp, the volunteers left their old lives farther behind. They began their training with physical fitness exercises, they were taught individual and unit discipline, how to follow commands, how to march, some basic field skills and how to safely handle his weapons. Later, as soldiers specialised in a particular area (for example, machine gunner or signaller) they would be trained in specific skills and would take part in practice manoeuvres and sham fights. They would spend many hours learning training in the use of bayonets, anti- gas training and guard duty along with lectures on camouflage or trench warfare and much more.
After many months of continuous preparation in Egypt, the recruits had been transformed from a newly arrived reinforcement into a fully trained infantryman, accustomed to discipline, hardship, and the mechanics of modern war. They would continue their training in England.
EGYPT TO ENGLAND
After completing their training in Egypt, the recruits marched to the embarkation port, where thousands of Australian reinforcements waited to cross the Mediterranean Sea and then the English Channel. Before departure, every man underwent a final medical inspection, was issued with ammunition, rations and received equipment and uniforms: this included British-issued gear better suited to the Western Front.
The crossing to England was usually made in the early hours of darkness aboard a crowded troopship. The journey was considered dangerous, as German submarines and mines posed a constant threat. Troops travelled in large transport ships or converted passenger liners. Protection usually included:
· Royal Navy destroyers, particularly in waters where submarines were known to operate.
· Patrol vessels and trawlers that swept routes and watched for submarines.
· Sailing in convoys whenever practical, especially from 1917 onwards when the convoy system became widespread.
· Travelling at zig-zag courses to make it more difficult for submarines to calculate a torpedo attack.
· Strict blackout conditions at night, with no lights visible from the ship.
The soldiers themselves were well aware of the submarine danger. Throughout the voyage they regularly took part in lifeboat and emergency boat drills. Every man was allocated a lifeboat station and instructed what to do if the alarm sounded. Lifebelts were often kept close at hand, and in dangerous waters the men sometimes slept fully dressed so they could reach the boat deck quickly if the ship was torpedoed.
Although most crossings were uneventful, the danger was very real. Several troopships carrying Australian soldiers were attacked during the war. One of the best-known examples was the Southland, torpedoed in the Aegean Sea on 2 September 1915 while carrying Australians from Gallipoli to Lemnos. Although she remained afloat, many men became casualties during the evacuation. Later in the war, ships crossing the Mediterranean continued to face the constant threat of U-boat attack.
ARRIVAL IN ENGLAND
On arrival at one of the English ports, they boarded the troop train for Perham Downs, one of the training camps on the Salisbury Plains. When the recruits entered the camp, they joined one of the Australian training establishments on the Salisbury Plain in southern England. By this stage of the war, the Australian Imperial Force had developed a highly organised training system designed to ensure that every reinforcement arriving in France possessed the skills needed to survive on the Western Front.
The time they spent at the camp were among the most important of their military career. Rather than being sent directly to the front, they underwent intensive preparation under instructors who were often veterans recently returned from France. These men had firsthand knowledge of trench warfare and passed on lessons learned through hard experience.
Life in the camp followed a demanding routine. Reveille sounded early each morning, followed by physical training designed to build strength and endurance. After breakfast, the men spent long hours on the training grounds learning and practising the skills they would soon need in battle. Rifle shooting remained a fundamental part of instruction, and the men would have spent considerable time on the ranges improving his marksmanship and learning to care for his weapon under all conditions.
Much of the training focused on trench warfare. Practice trench systems had been constructed across Salisbury Plain, allowing recruits to experience conditions similar to those they would encounter in France. They learned how to move through communication trenches, occupy front-line positions, stand sentry duty and maintain defensive works. They practised digging trenches, constructing parapets and revetments, and laying barbed wire obstacles.
Bombing instruction was another important part of the syllabus. Recruits learned how to throw and handle grenades safely, a skill that had become essential on the Western Front. They were also taught how to react during enemy bombardments, how to seek cover and how to move forward under artillery fire.
Field exercises frequently involved entire companies and battalions. During these manoeuvres, the recruits practised attacks on mock enemy positions, advancing behind simulated artillery barrages and coordinating movements with neighbouring units. Such exercises often lasted for many hours and could continue regardless of rain, cold or mud. The instructors were determined that recruits experience something of the hardships they would face in France.
Route marches formed a regular feature of camp life. Carrying rifles, ammunition, packs and equipment, the men marched many miles across the rolling countryside of Salisbury Plain. These marches built stamina and accustomed soldiers to carrying heavy loads over long distances. By the end of his training, the men would have been capable of marching for hours while carrying the equipment required in active service.
Beyond the formal training, the also gave the recruits the opportunity to form friendships with fellow Australians who shared anticipation and uncertainty about their future. In the evenings, men wrote letters home, attended educational lectures or spent what little leisure time was available discussing rumours from the front and wondering what lay ahead.
After many months of continuous preparation in England, the men were judged ready for active service. The recruits had been transformed from a newly arrived reinforcement into a fully trained infantryman, accustomed to discipline, hardship, and the mechanics of modern war. When the battalion finally crossed to France, it did so as a cohesive and well-drilled unit, prepared—so far as training could allow—for the brutal realities of the Western Front.
PROMOTED TO ACTING CORPORAL SEPTEMBR 1916
On 8 September 1916, while Sidney was still undergoing training at Perham Downs on Salisbury Plain, he was promoted to Acting Corporal. The promotion suggests that Sidney had impressed his instructors and superiors with his reliability, discipline and ability to take responsibility for other men. An Acting Corporal was still a soldier undergoing training rather than someone permanently removed from the ordinary work of the camp, so Sidney would have continued with the same general programme of military instruction as his fellow soldiers. However, he would also have been expected to set an example to the men around him, to help maintain discipline and to take responsibility for small groups of soldiers when required. His promotion was an indication that the Army considered him capable of leadership.
TAKEN ON STRENGTH AUGUST 1916
Whilst in the camp Sidney was taken on strength with the 7th Battalion on the 9th August 1916. This means a soldier was officially assigned to and accounted for in a specific military unit's nominal roll. It meant they were integrated into the unit for daily operations, including food, discipline, equipment, and frontline duties.
ENGLAND TO FRANCE
After completing their training in England, the brothers, together with the recruits marched to Folkstone embarkation port, on the 19th November 1916. Thousands of Australian reinforcements waited to cross the English Channel. Before departure, every man underwent a final medical inspection, was issued with ammunition, rations and any remaining equipment, and received instructions on what to do if the transport came under enemy attack.
The crossing to France was usually made in the early hours of darkness aboard a crowded troopship or cross-Channel steamer. Although the journey was relatively short, it was considered dangerous, as German submarines and mines posed a constant threat. Every soldier wore a lifebelt throughout the voyage, and troops remained alert in case they had to abandon ship. Fortunately, most crossings were completed safely, escorted by Royal Navy vessels.
On arrival at one of the Channel ports, such as Le Havre, Rouen or Boulogne, the men would have stepped onto French soil for the first time. Rather than proceeding directly to the front, they were sent to the Australian Base Depot, where reinforcements were organised, equipped and held until required by their units. Here the men exchanged some of their British-issued equipment for stores more suited to service on the Western Front, completed further medical inspections and undertook additional training designed to familiarise reinforcements with the latest trench warfare tactics.
From the Base Depot, the recruits would have travelled by troop train through the French countryside towards the rear areas behind the front line. The trains were often slow, crowded and uncomfortable, but they provided many soldiers with their first glimpse of war-torn France. Villages showed signs of shell damage, roads were busy with military traffic, and columns of troops, horses and artillery moved constantly towards the front.
Before joining their battalion, the recruits would have spent several days at the Australian Reinforcement Camp, where experienced officers and non-commissioned officers instructed newly arrived soldiers in current battlefield conditions. They practised trench routines, the use of gas masks, grenade throwing, wiring, patrolling and the latest infantry tactics. The distant rumble of artillery could often be heard, reminding every reinforcement that the front line was now only a short distance away.
JOINED THE 9th BATTALION JANUARY 1917
On the 17th January Sidney was transferred back to the 19th Battalion and the brothers was finally marched forward to their battalion, usually under the cover of darkness. Meeting men who had already endured months or even years of fighting, they quickly learned that his training had prepared them for the realities of the Western Front. The smell of mud, cordite and damp sandbags, the constant thunder of artillery and the ever-present danger from enemy shellfire and snipers marked the beginning of their active service in France. They arrived during a period of considerable change on the Western Front. The German Army was withdrawing towards the heavily fortified Hindenburg Line, leaving behind a devastated landscape of destroyed villages, trenches and shell holes. The 9th Battalion followed the German withdrawal and spent the coming weeks moving through the Somme battlefield area, occupying positions, repairing trenches and carrying out the ordinary duties of an infantry battalion. Bruce would have spent his days learning the routines of his new unit, becoming familiar with his comrades and officers and adapting to the very different conditions of trench warfare. There was little respite even when the battalion was not involved in a major attack, as German artillery, machine-gun and sniper fire remained a constant danger. Sidney's first days with the battalion would therefore have been spent becoming familiar with the men, trenches and routines of active service. Life at the front involved long periods of sentry duty, trench maintenance, carrying supplies and ammunition, repairing damaged positions and remaining alert to German activity. Although there was no major battle on the day Sidney became ill, the conditions were extremely harsh.
HOSPITALISED TRENCH FEET FEBRUART 1917 MEDICAL CHAIN
On 26 February 1917, Sidney was taken sick with trench foot and admitted for treatment through the Casualty Clearing Station system. Trench foot was a serious condition caused by keeping the feet wet and cold for prolonged periods. The men often had to stand or move through waterlogged trenches, and during the winter of 1916–17 the conditions could be bitterly cold. Poor circulation caused the feet to become swollen, numb and painful, and in severe cases the tissues could become damaged and infection or gangrene could follow. Sidney's illness was therefore a consequence of the conditions in which he had been serving rather than the result of a particular battle.
Once Sidney was removed from the line, the immediate treatment was to get his feet dry and restore circulation. His boots and wet clothing would be removed, his feet carefully examined and kept warm and dry, and he would be given rest. The treatment of trench foot depended upon its severity, but careful nursing and gradual restoration of circulation were important. Sidney would have been kept away from the wet conditions of the trenches while the swelling and pain subsided and the circulation in his feet recovered. The Australian medical authorities later placed considerable emphasis on preventing trench foot by keeping feet dry, changing socks regularly, rubbing the feet and using protective measures, because once developed it could keep a soldier out of the fighting for a considerable period.
On 3 March 1917, Sidney was at Rouen, where he was being processed through the medical and lines-of-communication system before evacuation to England. Rouen had become one of the major medical centres behind the Western Front, with hospitals and medical facilities receiving Australian soldiers who could not immediately return to their units. Sidney was no longer simply being treated at the front; his condition had resulted in him being removed from active service and placed into the longer chain of evacuation and recovery.
On 5 March 1917, Sidney was evacuated from France for England aboard the hospital ship Samana. The journey across the Channel marked another stage in his removal from the fighting. By this time the Army considered that he needed continued medical care rather than simply a short rest before returning to his battalion.
On 6 March 1917, Sidney was admitted to the 1st London General Hospital at Camberwell. The hospital was one of the major military hospitals serving soldiers evacuated from France. There Sidney could receive more prolonged treatment and observation for his trench-foot condition. His feet would have been kept warm and dry, with circulation carefully monitored, while the medical staff watched for complications such as infection or tissue damage. He would have spent considerable time resting, as recovery from trench foot could be slow even when the condition did not become permanently disabling. The hospital also provided the beginning of the longer period of convalescence that Sidney would now need before the Army could decide whether he was fit to return to active service. The 1st London General Hospital treated many Australian soldiers evacuated from France during this period.
On 26 March 1917, Sidney was transferred to the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Dartford. This was a significant change from the acute treatment he had received in the general hospital. The auxiliary hospital system was intended for men who were recovering and no longer required the intensive treatment of a general hospital but were not yet ready to return to military duty. No. 3 Australian Auxiliary Hospital was at Dartford in Kent and occupied buildings that had originally been used as the Orchard Convalescent Hospital.
For Sidney, the months that followed were therefore very different from those experienced by Bruce and his other brother. While Bruce remained with the 19th Battalion and continued to serve in France, Sidney was in England recovering and waiting for the Army to determine what could be done with him. His time at Dartford would have included continued medical supervision, rest and gradually increasing activity as his condition improved. Convalescent hospitals were not simply places where men lay in bed; as their health returned, soldiers were encouraged to regain strength and prepare for whatever duties they might subsequently be able to undertake. The atmosphere could also be considerably more relaxed than that of a front-line hospital, with opportunities for recreation and organised activities. The 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital held concerts, social events and sporting activities for its patients
BRUCE’S FUNERAL JUNE 1917
Then, on 18 June 1917, Sidney experienced the most painful moment of his service. He attended the funeral of his brother Bruce at Brookwood Military Cemetery in Surrey. Bruce had died from the severe wounds he received in France, and Sidney, who had trained and served alongside him for so long, was able to be present when his brother was laid to rest. The fact that Sidney was in England recovering from his own illness made it possible for him to attend the funeral. For Sidney this must have been an especially devastating experience. The three Campbell brothers had enlisted together and had remained together through their training and military service, but now one of them was dead and Sidney was himself unable to return to the battalion. His brother's burial at Brookwood marked the point at which the family's wartime story changed forever
Sidney remained in the convalescent system until 21 August 1917, when he was discharged from the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital to Weymouth. This did not mean that he was immediately ready to return to the fighting. Rather, he was moving from medical treatment into the military convalescent and command-depot system, where his fitness for further service could be assessed. Weymouth was one of the locations used by the AIF for men who were recovering from illness or wounds and awaiting a decision about their future. Sidney would have continued to regain his strength and undergo the necessary military assessments while the Army considered whether he could return to France or whether he was permanently unfit for active service.
On 24 September 1917, Sidney was moved to Parkhouse. By this stage he was being dealt with as a soldier whose medical condition had prevented his return to the front. Parkhouse was part of the AIF's network of training and convalescent establishments on Salisbury Plain. Men there could undertake light military duties and further physical training while their fitness was assessed. Sidney's long absence from the 19th Battalion meant that he was no longer simply waiting for a few days' leave before going back to France. His medical history and the lengthy period he had spent recovering from trench foot meant that the Army now had to decide whether it was worthwhile sending him back to active service
RETURN TO AUSTRALIA DECEMBER 1917
That decision was eventually made in Sidney's favour as far as Australia was concerned. On 15 December 1917, Sidney returned to Australia aboard the transport Port Lyttleton. His return was described as being for change, meaning that he was being sent home rather than returned to the Western Front. At the same time, his rank reverted from Acting Corporal to Private. His earlier promotion had been a temporary appointment made while he was serving and training in England; with his return from active service and the ending of that appointment, he reverted to his substantive rank of Private.
Sidney arrived back in Australia carrying the very different experience of having gone to war with his two brothers and having lost Bruce while they were still serving. He had entered the Army alongside his brothers, trained alongside them and eventually joined the same battalion, but trench foot had taken him away from the 19th Battalion only days after he reached France. While Sidney recovered in England, Bruce remained with the battalion and was later killed. Sidney had been able to attend Bruce's funeral, but he could not return to France to continue the service they had begun together.
DISCHARGE JANUARY 1918
On 22 January 1918, Sidney was formally discharged from the Australian Imperial Force. His war had ended not through a battlefield wound, but through the illness and lasting effects of the harsh conditions he had endured in the trenches. Of the three Campbell brothers who had begun their military journey together, fate had separated them in France, and Sidney ultimately returned home while Bruce was buried in England
For his service Sidney was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, and the Victory Medal and his name is recorded on the Port Macquarie Cenotaph
AFTER THE WAR
Sidney married Elsie Marion Bowles on the 10th May 1924 in Murwillumbah
PENSION GRANTED
Sidney had a pension of 3 pounds per fortnight granted from 23 January 1918
DEATH AND BURIAL
Sidney died on the 15th Dec 1968 (aged 75–76) in Tweed Heads and is buried at Mount Thompson Memorial Gardens and Crematorium Holland Park, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Plot Columbarium 11, Section 1D
If you have any additional information about this individual, we invite you to email us at rsl@msmc.org.au.
Memorial Location
We do not know the memorial location of this individual
Buried Location
We do not know the burial location of this individual
