INSPIRING VALOUR

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 218, 10 June 1943, Page 5

INSPIRING VALOUR

Lt.-Col. Gains V.C. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, June 8. The Victoria Cross has been awarded to Major (temporary Lieutenant-Colonel) Lornc Maclaine Campbell, D. 5.0., for valour in the attack on the Wadi Akarit position in Tunisia on April 6. He is a nephew of Vice-Admiral Gordon Campbell, V.C., who was in the command of the famous “Q” mystery ships in the last war and won the V.C. in 1917.

Colonel Campbell was in command of a battalion of the Argyll .and Sutherland Highlanders, to whom had been allotted the task of breaking through an enemy minefield and an anti-tank ditch and forming the initial bridgehead for a brigade of the 51st Highland Division. The attack had to form up in complete darkness and traverse the main offshoot of the Wadi Akarit' at an angle to the line of advance..

In spite of heavy machinegun and shellfire in the early stages of the attack, Colonel Campbell successfully accomplished this difficult operation, captured at least 600 prisoners and led his battalion to its objective, having to cross an unswept portion of the enemy minefield in doing so.

Later, on reaching his objective, he found that a gap blown by the Royal Engineers in the anti-tank ditch did not correspond with the vehicle lane which had been cleared in the minefield. Realizing the vital necessity of quickly establishing a gap for the passage of antitank guns, he took personal charge of this operation. It was now broad daylight, and under very heavy machinegun and shell-fire, he succeeded in making a personal reconnaissance and conducting operations which led to the establishing of a vehicle gap. Rallied His Men. Throughout the day Colonel Campbell held his position with his battalion in the face of extremely heavy- and constant shell-fire. At about 4.30 p.m., determined enemy counter-attacks began to develop, accompanied by tanks. In this phase Colonel Campbell's personality dominated the battlefield by a display of valour and utter disregard for his personal safety which could not have, been excelled. Realizing that it was imperative for the future success of the Army plan to hold the bridgehead his battalion had captured, he inspired the men by his presence in the forefront of Ibo buttle, cheering them on and rallying them as ho moved to those points where the fighting was- heaviest. When his left forward company was forced to give ground he went forward alone into the hail of fire and personally reorganized the position, remaining with the company till the attack at this point wits held. As reinforcements arrived, he was seen standing in the open directing the fight tinder close-range fire by enemy infantry, and he continued so to do though painfully wounded in the neck by shell fire. It was not till the battle died down that he allowed the wound to be dressed. Even then, though in great pain, he refused to be evacuated, nnd remained with the battalion and continued to inspire them. Darkness fell with the Argyll* still holding the positions, though ninny of its officers and men were casualties There is no doubt that, but for Colonel CampbeH's determination, splendid example of courage, and disregard of pain, the bridgehead would have been lost. This officer’s gallantry and magnificent leadership when his tired men were charging the enemy with bayonet and fighting them at hand-grenade range is worthy of the highest honour and can seldom have been surpassed m the long history of the Highland brigade.