David Campbell (British Army officer)
Encyclopedia
General
Sir David Graham Muschet "Soarer" Campbell GCB (28 January 1869 – 12 March 1936) was a cavalry officer of the British Army
, amateur sportsman, and later Governor of Malta.
After home service in Britain and Ireland his regiment, 9th Queen's Royal Lancers
, was posted to South Africa in 1896, and on to India in 1898, though Campbell seems to have spent some of this period in the United Kingdom. The regiment returned to South Africa following the outbreak of the Second Boer War
, during which he saw his first action. By the outbreak of the First World War he was in command of the regiment. He led them in two cavalry charges in the first months of the war; the second of these saw him receive multiple wounds, one of them from a lance
, making him one of the last British casualties of that weapon. In November 1914 he was promoted to command 6th Cavalry Brigade
, then in May 1916 came further promotion to command 21st Division. He retained that command for the rest of the war.
Post-war, he was knighted in 1919, and went on to hold further command and administrative positions in the army. He was General Officer Commanding
(GOC) Baluchistan, 1920–24; Military Secretary, 1926–27; and GOC Aldershot Command
1927–31, when he argued for the increased mechanisation of the army. He was then appointed Governor of Malta, and died shortly after resigning that office in 1936.
During the early years of his military career Campbell was also a successful amateur National Hunt jockey, winning a number of major races; foremost amongst these was the Grand National
of 1896, on The Soarer, which gave him his nickname in subsequent years (though his divisional staff referred to him as Barbara, for reasons now lost). He continued riding in military meets until the end of his army service. He was also a keen cricket
er and polo
player.
. He was educated at Clifton College
where he was a noted sportsman, in particular playing cricket for the First XI. He then proceeded to Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
, also representing them at cricket, before he was gazetted
a second lieutenant
in the 9th Lancers on 15 March 1889. Joining the cavalry was an expensive business. A junior officer's pay was just £95 a year, but the expenses of regimental living—such as mess
bills—meant that a private income of at least £500 a year was required, in addition to a similar amount when first commissioned to buy horses, uniform and other equipment. At the time the regiment was based in Manchester
, with a detachment at Seaforth Barracks, Liverpool
. In April 1890 there was a major reorganization of British Army cavalry regiments, with the establishment being increased from 488 Other Ranks
and 300 horses to 628 OR and 350 horses, followed in August by a further increase to 706 OR and 424 horses. August also saw the regiment move to Ireland, initially to the Curragh
, and then Dundalk
; due to the reorganization, the regiment was now seriously understrength, so a recruitment campaign was started. Campbell was promoted lieutenant
on 9 December 1890. Cavalry regiments, in addition to their increase in size, also had their structure reorganized, with the main sub-unit becoming the squadron rather than the troop
, each squadron being formed by the merger of two troops. The remainder of their time in Ireland was split between the Curragh and Newbridge
. In addition to the restructuring, the regiment was issued with new-style equipment in August 1893.
The regiment's tour in Ireland lasted until August 1894 when it was posted to Aldershot
; the regimental history describes the period as "one of the most peaceful and undisturbed in that country before or since". Over this time, Campbell had begun to make a name for himself as an amateur jockey, and on 9 March 1894 at the Grand Military Meeting at Sandown Park he won the Maiden Steeplechase on The Soarer, a horse he had acquired on the toss of a coin. Later in the year, on 27 November he won the Middlesex Steeplechase and 28 November he won the Uxbridge Handicap Steeplechase Plate, both at Kempton Park
, followed by third in the Handicap Steeplechase back at Sandown Park on 7 December 1894, and back at Kempton Park, another win in the Hampton Steeplechase Handicap on Boxing Day
; all these races were also on Soarer. 1895 began rather less successfully, with a fourth on Soarer in the Grand Military Gold Cup at Sandown Park on 8 March, and the next day he failed to finish in the Grand Military Handicap Steeplechase, riding Seaside, which belonged to a fellow 9th Lancers officer. Then on 30 March, at the Liverpool Spring Meeting at Aintree
, he won the Champion Steeplechase, again on Soarer. A single day in 1895 also saw him win both the Irish National Hunt Cup (on Dakota) and the Irish Grand Military (on Balbrigan).
in the Grand Military Championship Challenge Cup. On 7 March he was fourth in the Grand Military Handicap Steeplechase, according to a contemporary report in The Times
, this time riding Nelly Gray, a horse belonging to an officer from the 16th Lancers. However, some later sources, such as his obituary in The Times, state that he won the Grand Military that year, probably based on his own entry in Who's Who
. Though he had actually sold Soarer to Hall Walker
a few weeks earlier, that was still the horse he rode to his greatest victory, in the Grand National at Aintree on 27 March. The Times the following day described how he "drew to the front two fences from home and won by a length and half
". It was at this point that "Soarer" became his own nickname. He also repeated his victory in the Irish National Hunt Cup (this time on Lord Arravale); and in polo, 1896 saw him on the winning side in both the Subalterns' and the Inter-Regimental tournaments, a record still unmatched at his death. In 1897, Campbell tried to repeat his Grand National triumph, once more on Soarer, but he fell on the second lap of the course at the fence after Becher's Brook
, breaking his collar bone. He is also reported to have won the Grand Military in 1897 (on Parapluie).
The 9th Lancers had actually been posted to South Africa in August 1896, arriving at Durban
in September, before travelling on to Pietermaritzburg
and later, the then little known town of Ladysmith
. A regimental depot had been established at Canterbury
, comprising two officers and 106 OR; it's not clear if Campbell was one of these officers, or if he availed himself of what the regimental history calls the "large allowance of annual leave" in order to further his sporting career. The regiment returned to Durban in March 1898 to embark for India. They landed at Bombay (now Mumbai), and travelled from there to a base at Muttra, arriving on 10 October 1898; the remainder of the year was spent in exercises around Delhi
and Aligarh. Campbell was promoted captain
on 3 May 1899.
in the quarter ending June 1899, and was still on leave until his recall as the regiment was being mobilised for the Boer War
.
On 6 September 1902 he was appointed the regimental adjutant
, and promoted to Major on 16 March 1904. Eight years later, on 15 March 1912, he was promoted to lieutenant-colonel and took command of the regiment.
. He later participated in the final "lance on lance" action of the war on 6 September 1914 at Moncel when he led a charge of two troops of B Squadron of his Regiment and overthrew a squadron of the 1st Guard Dragoons. In this second charge, Campbell was wounded several times; the medical officer of the 4th Dragoon Guards, Captain Arthur Osburn, found him sprawled in a field of clover and treated him for "a revolver wound in his leg, a lance wound in his shoulder, and a sword wound in his arm". Despite this, Campbell told the doctor "I've just had the best quarter of an hour I've ever had in my life!" In November 1914 Campbell was promoted to command 6th Cavalry Brigade
, then in May 1916 came further promotion to command 21st Division. He retained that command for the rest of the war. His divisional staff gave him the further nickname of "Barbara", the reason for which is no longer known.
Baluchistan District in India
in 1920. He was appointed Military Secretary in 1926 and became General Officer Commanding
-in-Chief for Aldershot Command
in 1927. He went on to be Governor and Commander-in-Chief Malta from 1931 to 1936. His governorship was a stressful time. Political tensions between pro-British and pro-Italian parties on the island led to him dissolving the elected assembly and returning Malta to direct rule, a situation which would last until after the Second World War. Ill-health forced him to resign in 1936, and he died shortly afterwards, on 12 March 1936.
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General (United Kingdom)
General is currently the highest peace-time rank in the British Army and Royal Marines. It is subordinate to the Army rank of Field Marshal, has a NATO-code of OF-9, and is a four-star rank....
Sir David Graham Muschet "Soarer" Campbell GCB (28 January 1869 – 12 March 1936) was a cavalry officer of the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
, amateur sportsman, and later Governor of Malta.
After home service in Britain and Ireland his regiment, 9th Queen's Royal Lancers
9th Queen's Royal Lancers
The 9th Queen's Royal Lancers, or the Delhi Spearmen, were a cavalry regiment of the British Army. They are best known for their roles in the Indian mutiny of 1857 and for their part in the North African campaign of World War II including the retreat to and the battle of El Alamein in 1942.-Early...
, was posted to South Africa in 1896, and on to India in 1898, though Campbell seems to have spent some of this period in the United Kingdom. The regiment returned to South Africa following the outbreak of the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
, during which he saw his first action. By the outbreak of the First World War he was in command of the regiment. He led them in two cavalry charges in the first months of the war; the second of these saw him receive multiple wounds, one of them from a lance
Lance
A Lance is a pole weapon or spear designed to be used by a mounted warrior. The lance is longer, stout and heavier than an infantry spear, and unsuited for throwing, or for rapid thrusting. Lances did not have tips designed to intentionally break off or bend, unlike many throwing weapons of the...
, making him one of the last British casualties of that weapon. In November 1914 he was promoted to command 6th Cavalry Brigade
6th Cavalry Brigade (United Kingdom)
The 6th Cavalry Brigade was part of the 1st Cavalry Division , which was a British Army First World War and Second World War formation formed in 1939 from Yeomanry Regiments.- History in World War Two :...
, then in May 1916 came further promotion to command 21st Division. He retained that command for the rest of the war.
Post-war, he was knighted in 1919, and went on to hold further command and administrative positions in the army. He was General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding is the usual title given in the armies of Commonwealth nations to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC II Corps or GOC 7th Armoured Division...
(GOC) Baluchistan, 1920–24; Military Secretary, 1926–27; and GOC Aldershot Command
Aldershot Command
-History:After the success of the Chobham Manoeuvres of 1853, a permanent training camp was established at Aldershot in 1854 on the recommendation of the Commander-in-Chief, Viscount Hardinge...
1927–31, when he argued for the increased mechanisation of the army. He was then appointed Governor of Malta, and died shortly after resigning that office in 1936.
During the early years of his military career Campbell was also a successful amateur National Hunt jockey, winning a number of major races; foremost amongst these was the Grand National
Grand National
The Grand National is a world-famous National Hunt horse race which is held annually at Aintree Racecourse, near Liverpool, England. It is a handicap chase run over a distance of four miles and 856 yards , with horses jumping thirty fences over two circuits of Aintree's National Course...
of 1896, on The Soarer, which gave him his nickname in subsequent years (though his divisional staff referred to him as Barbara, for reasons now lost). He continued riding in military meets until the end of his army service. He was also a keen cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er and polo
Polo
Polo is a team sport played on horseback in which the objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Sometimes called, "The Sport of Kings", it was highly popularized by the British. Players score by driving a small white plastic or wooden ball into the opposing team's goal using a...
player.
Early life and career
Campbell was born on 28 January 1869, the son of Major H. Wooton Campbell, Cameron HighlandersCameron Highlanders
Cameron Highlanders may mean:* The Highlanders , infantry regiment in the Scottish Division of the British Army* The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa, Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Forces...
. He was educated at Clifton College
Clifton College
Clifton College is a co-educational independent school in Clifton, Bristol, England, founded in 1862. In its early years it was notable for emphasising science in the curriculum, and for being less concerned with social elitism, e.g. by admitting day-boys on equal terms and providing a dedicated...
where he was a noted sportsman, in particular playing cricket for the First XI. He then proceeded to Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
, also representing them at cricket, before he was gazetted
London Gazette
The London Gazette is one of the official journals of record of the British government, and the most important among such official journals in the United Kingdom, in which certain statutory notices are required to be published...
a second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in the 9th Lancers on 15 March 1889. Joining the cavalry was an expensive business. A junior officer's pay was just £95 a year, but the expenses of regimental living—such as mess
Mess
A mess is the place where military personnel socialise, eat, and live. In some societies this military usage has extended to other disciplined services eateries such as civilian fire fighting and police forces. The root of mess is the Old French mes, "portion of food" A mess (also called a...
bills—meant that a private income of at least £500 a year was required, in addition to a similar amount when first commissioned to buy horses, uniform and other equipment. At the time the regiment was based in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, with a detachment at Seaforth Barracks, Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
. In April 1890 there was a major reorganization of British Army cavalry regiments, with the establishment being increased from 488 Other Ranks
Other Ranks
Other Ranks in the British Army, Royal Marines and Royal Air Force are those personnel who are not commissioned officers. In the Royal Navy, these personnel are called ratings...
and 300 horses to 628 OR and 350 horses, followed in August by a further increase to 706 OR and 424 horses. August also saw the regiment move to Ireland, initially to the Curragh
Curragh Camp
The Curragh Camp is an army base and military college located in The Curragh, County Kildare, Ireland. It is the main training centre for the Irish Army.- Brief history of the Curragh's military heritage :...
, and then Dundalk
Dundalk
Dundalk is the county town of County Louth in Ireland. It is situated where the Castletown River flows into Dundalk Bay. The town is close to the border with Northern Ireland and equi-distant from Dublin and Belfast. The town's name, which was historically written as Dundalgan, has associations...
; due to the reorganization, the regiment was now seriously understrength, so a recruitment campaign was started. Campbell was promoted lieutenant
First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
on 9 December 1890. Cavalry regiments, in addition to their increase in size, also had their structure reorganized, with the main sub-unit becoming the squadron rather than the troop
Troop
A troop is a military unit, originally a small force of cavalry, subordinate to a squadron and headed by the troop leader. In many armies a troop is the equivalent unit to the infantry section or platoon...
, each squadron being formed by the merger of two troops. The remainder of their time in Ireland was split between the Curragh and Newbridge
Newbridge, County Kildare
The earliest known mention of Newbridge was by traveller and bookseller John Dunton in 1698, though he does not refer to any settlement other than at Ballymany....
. In addition to the restructuring, the regiment was issued with new-style equipment in August 1893.
The regiment's tour in Ireland lasted until August 1894 when it was posted to Aldershot
Aldershot Garrison
Aldershot Garrison, also known as Aldershot Military Town, is a major garrison in South East England. Established in 1854, Aldershot has long been seen as the home of the British Army. The garrison was established when the war department brought a large area of land near to the village of...
; the regimental history describes the period as "one of the most peaceful and undisturbed in that country before or since". Over this time, Campbell had begun to make a name for himself as an amateur jockey, and on 9 March 1894 at the Grand Military Meeting at Sandown Park he won the Maiden Steeplechase on The Soarer, a horse he had acquired on the toss of a coin. Later in the year, on 27 November he won the Middlesex Steeplechase and 28 November he won the Uxbridge Handicap Steeplechase Plate, both at Kempton Park
Kempton Park Racecourse
Kempton Park Racecourse is a horse racing track in Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey, England, which is a western suburb of London 16 miles from the city centre. The site is set in of land....
, followed by third in the Handicap Steeplechase back at Sandown Park on 7 December 1894, and back at Kempton Park, another win in the Hampton Steeplechase Handicap on Boxing Day
Boxing Day
Boxing Day is a bank or public holiday that occurs on 26 December, or the first or second weekday after Christmas Day, depending on national or regional laws. It is observed in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth nations. In Ireland, it is recognized as...
; all these races were also on Soarer. 1895 began rather less successfully, with a fourth on Soarer in the Grand Military Gold Cup at Sandown Park on 8 March, and the next day he failed to finish in the Grand Military Handicap Steeplechase, riding Seaside, which belonged to a fellow 9th Lancers officer. Then on 30 March, at the Liverpool Spring Meeting at Aintree
Aintree Racecourse
Aintree Racecourse is a racecourse in Aintree, Merseyside, England.It was served by Aintree Racecourse railway station until the station closed in the 1960s....
, he won the Champion Steeplechase, again on Soarer. A single day in 1895 also saw him win both the Irish National Hunt Cup (on Dakota) and the Irish Grand Military (on Balbrigan).
Grand National success
1896 was his most successful year in sport. On 3 March he also represented the 9th Lancers at RacquetsRacquets (sport)
Rackets or Racquets is an indoor racket sport played in the United Kingdom, United States, and Canada...
in the Grand Military Championship Challenge Cup. On 7 March he was fourth in the Grand Military Handicap Steeplechase, according to a contemporary report in The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
, this time riding Nelly Gray, a horse belonging to an officer from the 16th Lancers. However, some later sources, such as his obituary in The Times, state that he won the Grand Military that year, probably based on his own entry in Who's Who
Who's Who (UK)
Who's Who is an annual British publication of biographies which vary in length of about 30,000 living notable Britons.-History:...
. Though he had actually sold Soarer to Hall Walker
William Walker, 1st Baron Wavertree
William Hall Walker, 1st Baron Wavertree was a British businessman, politician, art collector, and an important figure in Thoroughbred racehorse breeding.-Background:...
a few weeks earlier, that was still the horse he rode to his greatest victory, in the Grand National at Aintree on 27 March. The Times the following day described how he "drew to the front two fences from home and won by a length and half
Length (horse racing)
A horse length, or simply length, is a unit of measurement that refers to the length of a horse from nose to tail, approximately 8 feet, It is commonly used in Thoroughbred horse racing, where it describes the distance between horses in a race...
". It was at this point that "Soarer" became his own nickname. He also repeated his victory in the Irish National Hunt Cup (this time on Lord Arravale); and in polo, 1896 saw him on the winning side in both the Subalterns' and the Inter-Regimental tournaments, a record still unmatched at his death. In 1897, Campbell tried to repeat his Grand National triumph, once more on Soarer, but he fell on the second lap of the course at the fence after Becher's Brook
Becher's Brook
Becher's Brook is a fence jumped during the Grand National, a National Hunt horse race held annually at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England. It is jumped twice during the race, as the sixth and 22nd fence, as well as on four other occasions during the year...
, breaking his collar bone. He is also reported to have won the Grand Military in 1897 (on Parapluie).
The 9th Lancers had actually been posted to South Africa in August 1896, arriving at Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
in September, before travelling on to Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg is the capital and second largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It was founded in 1838, and is currently governed by the Msunduzi Local Municipality. Its "purist" Zulu name is umGungundlovu, and this is the name used for the district municipality...
and later, the then little known town of Ladysmith
Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal
Ladysmith is a city in the Uthukela District of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is north-west of Durban and south of Johannesburg. Important industries in the area include food processing, textile and tyre production...
. A regimental depot had been established at Canterbury
Canterbury
Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
, comprising two officers and 106 OR; it's not clear if Campbell was one of these officers, or if he availed himself of what the regimental history calls the "large allowance of annual leave" in order to further his sporting career. The regiment returned to Durban in March 1898 to embark for India. They landed at Bombay (now Mumbai), and travelled from there to a base at Muttra, arriving on 10 October 1898; the remainder of the year was spent in exercises around Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
and Aligarh. Campbell was promoted captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
on 3 May 1899.
Boer War
Campbell married Janet Mary Aikman, daughter of Sir Robert Aikman in KensingtonKensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
in the quarter ending June 1899, and was still on leave until his recall as the regiment was being mobilised for the Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
.
On 6 September 1902 he was appointed the regimental adjutant
Adjutant
Adjutant is a military rank or appointment. In some armies, including most English-speaking ones, it is an officer who assists a more senior officer, while in other armies, especially Francophone ones, it is an NCO , normally corresponding roughly to a Staff Sergeant or Warrant Officer.An Adjutant...
, and promoted to Major on 16 March 1904. Eight years later, on 15 March 1912, he was promoted to lieutenant-colonel and took command of the regiment.
First World War
In the early days of the First World War he led his regiment, with two squadrons of the 4th Dragoon Guards, in a charge at Elouges on 24 August 1914, as part of the Battle of MonsBattle of Mons
The Battle of Mons was the first major action of the British Expeditionary Force in the First World War. It was a subsidiary action of the Battle of the Frontiers, in which the Allies clashed with Germany on the French borders. At Mons, the British army attempted to hold the line of the...
. He later participated in the final "lance on lance" action of the war on 6 September 1914 at Moncel when he led a charge of two troops of B Squadron of his Regiment and overthrew a squadron of the 1st Guard Dragoons. In this second charge, Campbell was wounded several times; the medical officer of the 4th Dragoon Guards, Captain Arthur Osburn, found him sprawled in a field of clover and treated him for "a revolver wound in his leg, a lance wound in his shoulder, and a sword wound in his arm". Despite this, Campbell told the doctor "I've just had the best quarter of an hour I've ever had in my life!" In November 1914 Campbell was promoted to command 6th Cavalry Brigade
6th Cavalry Brigade (United Kingdom)
The 6th Cavalry Brigade was part of the 1st Cavalry Division , which was a British Army First World War and Second World War formation formed in 1939 from Yeomanry Regiments.- History in World War Two :...
, then in May 1916 came further promotion to command 21st Division. He retained that command for the rest of the war. His divisional staff gave him the further nickname of "Barbara", the reason for which is no longer known.
Post-war
After the War he became General Officer CommandingGeneral Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding is the usual title given in the armies of Commonwealth nations to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC II Corps or GOC 7th Armoured Division...
Baluchistan District in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
in 1920. He was appointed Military Secretary in 1926 and became General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding is the usual title given in the armies of Commonwealth nations to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC II Corps or GOC 7th Armoured Division...
-in-Chief for Aldershot Command
Aldershot Command
-History:After the success of the Chobham Manoeuvres of 1853, a permanent training camp was established at Aldershot in 1854 on the recommendation of the Commander-in-Chief, Viscount Hardinge...
in 1927. He went on to be Governor and Commander-in-Chief Malta from 1931 to 1936. His governorship was a stressful time. Political tensions between pro-British and pro-Italian parties on the island led to him dissolving the elected assembly and returning Malta to direct rule, a situation which would last until after the Second World War. Ill-health forced him to resign in 1936, and he died shortly afterwards, on 12 March 1936.
External links
- Papers of Sir Harry Charles Luke, Lieutenant-Governor of Malta, Catalogue of the Bodleian LibraryBodleian LibraryThe Bodleian Library , the main research library of the University of Oxford, is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, and in Britain is second in size only to the British Library...
. - Major-General Sir David Campbell.
- CO 323/1144/2, Colonies, General: Original Correspondence, Governors: appointment of General Sir David Campbell as governor of Malta, Catalogue description, The National Archives.
- CO 967/85, Private Office Papers, Appointment of General Sir David Campbell as Governor in succession to Sir John Du Cane, Catalogue description, The National Archives.
- CO 967/86, Private Office Papers, Appointment of General Sir Charles Bonham-Carter as Governor in succession to General Sir David Campbell, Catalogue description, The National Archives.
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