Gordon Campbell

Vice-Admiral Gordon Campbell, V.C., D.S.O., R.N., Retired (6 January, 1886 – 3 October, 1953) was an officer in the Royal Navy

Life & Career

On 1 October, 1907, Campbell was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant.

He married Mary Jeanne David on 14 January, 1911.

Campbell was appointed to the collier Loderer (soon to be renamed H.M.S. Farnborough) on 28 September, 1915 and promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 1 October, 1915.

He was promoted to the rank of Commander on 29 March, 1916.

Campbell was award the Victoria Cross for his handling of Farnborough, sinking U 83 in February 1917.

He was appointed in command of the Q-ship Vittoria (which was soon renamed Pargust) in March, 1917.

Campbell was promoted to the rank of Captain on 7 June, 1917. On 28 July, he was appointed in command of the special service vessel Dunraven. She was sunk from under him by a well-handled and wary UC 71 on 10 August, 1917.

On 30 October 1917, he was appointed in command of the scout cruiser Active, becoming Flag Captain to the Commander in Chief, Coast of Ireland on 12 November. He would be superseded in her in April 1918.

Post-War

He was appointed in command of the armoured cruiser Cumberland on 1 January, 1919.

He was appointed in command of the battlecruiser Tiger in November, 1925. In August, 1926, he recommended a rating named Phillips for promotion and was advised that it was improper on his part to recommend a man with so recent a history of leave-breaking and insubordination.

He was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on 5 April, 1928, vice Beaty-Pownall, and placed on the Retired List on 6 April.

He was advanced to the rank of Vice-Admiral on the Retired List on 31 December, 1932.

World War II

In 1940, he was reported sick with angina associated with alcoholism.

See Also

• Wikipedia

Bibliography

• "Vice-Adm. Gordon Campbell, V.C." (Obituaries). The Times. Tuesday, 6 October, 1953. Issue 52745, col A, p. 11.

Service Records

• The National Archives. ADM 196/143.
• The National Archives. ADM 196/126.
• The National Archives. ADM 196/90.
• The National Archives. ADM 196/50.

Naval Appointments
Preceded by Robin W. M. Lloyd	Captain of H.M.S. Ranger 10 Oct, 1912 – Apr, 1913	Succeeded by Frank A. Bond
Preceded by Philip G. Wodehouse	Captain of H.M.S. Bittern Apr, 1913 – 21 Sep, 1915	Succeeded by Ernest K. Irving
Preceded by Kerrison Kiddle	Captain of H.M.S. Active 12 Nov, 1917 – Apr, 1918	Succeeded by Edward R. G. R. Evans
Preceded by Robert A. Hornell	Captain of H.M.S. Patrol Apr, 1918 – 1 Jan, 1919	Succeeded by Nicholas E. Archdale
Preceded by Henry Blackett	Captain of H.M.S. Cumberland 1 Jan, 1919 – 15 Apr, 1920	Succeeded by ?
Preceded by Charles P. Beaty-Pownall	Captain of Training Ship H.M.S. Impregnable 5 Feb, 1921 – 22 Aug, 1922	Succeeded by Berwick Curtis
Preceded by Frank W. Wyley as Captain of Griper	Captain of H.M.S. Flora 1 Dec, 1922 – 6 May, 1925	Succeeded by John C. Hodgson
Preceded by Forster D. Arnold-Forster	Captain in Charge, Simonstown 1 Dec, 1922 – 6 May, 1925	Succeeded by John C. Hodgson as Captain of H.M.S. Flora
Preceded by Horace W. Longden	Captain of H.M.S. Tiger 1 Nov, 1925 – 30 Jul, 1927	Succeeded by Walter J. C. Lake