CAMPBELL, Alexander Collin

DIVISIONAL UNIT:        1st Canadian Infantry Division
                                             1st Infantry Brigade
                                             1st Battalion - Western Ontario
                                             Canadian Infantry Corps
SERVICE NO                    651184
RESIDENCE:                    Lucknow – Ontario 
DATE OF BIRTH              January 18, 1897
                                             Lucknow - Ashfield Township – County of Huron - Ontario
DATE OF DEATH:           September 2, 1918               21 years     7 months
CEMETERY:                     Queant Road Cemetery – Buissy –
                                             Pas de Calais – France
                                             VII     E     23
BROTHER:                        Mr. Donald Campbell – Lucknow
AUNT:                                Miss Rebecca Campbell – Lucknow  
Occupation:                        Farmer                                  Religion:     Presbyterian
Enlistment:                         Lucknow – January 6, 1916
Enlistment Age:                 19 years

Private Campbell was on board the S.S. Metagama when it reached England on August 28, 1916. Private Campbell entered France on March 1, 1918 and joined his unit in the field on March 4th.
He was admitted to No. 2 Canadian Field Ambulance on April 5, 1918 with shrapnel wounds to his face, transferred to No. 8 Casualty Clearing Station the same day and then admitted to No. 7 Canadian General Hospital on April 6, 1918. From there it was to No. 6 Convalescent Depot in Etaples on April 8th and finally is moved to No. 15 Convalescent Depot in Trouville on the 12th and he now has a sharpanel wound in the chest.
He rejoins his unit on May 28, 1918 in the field.
For the advance that was coming, the 1st Brigade was located at Sun Quarry and were to follow the 2nd & 3rd Brigades and be in support and upon the capture of the Buissly Line they would pass through the 2nd & 3rd Brigades and capture the crossings at the Canal du Nord and to establish a line 3,000 yards further east. They were to follow with the leading troops 1000 yards in rear of the 2nd / 3rd Brigade reserves. The right flank behind the 3rd was thought to be the more sensitive flank.
The 1st Battalion was committed to the attack on the Buissy Switch which was well defended and fortified with much belted wire in the area and it was believed to be held by very few of the enemy but these men possessed a large number of machine-guns.
The terrain was open ground pitted with shell holes, directly west of Crow’s Nest and south of Upton Wood. Each man carried two extra bandoliers, two extra water bottles and 24 hour’s worth of dry rations plus the food they received before the advance that was fresh. At 07:50 hours the 3rd Battalion pushed off followed by the 1ST Battalion at 08:03 hours at a distance of 300 yards. The enemy fire was light and scattered resulting in light casualties. By 11:30 hours the Battalion was in the vicinity of Bois de Loison and Bois de Houche and it was at this point that the casualties started to mount from the fire of the enemy machine guns on the surrounding high ground. Two platoons dealt with this threat and then formed a defensive flank and held here until 1:50 pm. The Battalion held these positions until late in the evening of September 2nd.
Private Campbell lost his life in action during the above advance after being struck by the bullet from an enemy sniper.