Died
13 August 1943
Sources
CWGC
Barrow News
Barrie Downer (Barrow Submariners Association)
Cumbria BMD
Ancestry
Place
Walks
Themes
Lieut (E) H H D Campaign RN, MBE (M3268)
Made M.B.E. in the 1942 Birthday Honours list. CWGC: Son of Herbert Henry and Frances Graham Campaign; husband of Ada Violet Campaign, of Portsmouth. Attached HMS Dolphin, shore establishment. Dolphin was the home of the Royal Navy Submarine Service from 1904 to 1999.
Born 14 January 1896.
1901 Census
In the 1901 Census a Campaign family was at 64 Gordon Road, Gillingham, Kent. The household is Herbert H. Campaign (30) Shipwright, born Sheerness, Kent; Fanny G. Campaign (26) born Chatham. Kent; Herbert H. Campaign (5) born Chatham, Kent; and Alec Clark (21) Boarder, Steam Engine Maker (Apprentice), born Deal, Kent.
1901 Census
Confusingly, in the 1901 Census a second Campaign family was living at 13 Regent Road, Gillingham. William Campaign (35) Shipwright, born Woolwich, Kent is married to Annie Campaign (28) born Rochester, Kent, with children William Campaign (9) born New Brompton, Kent and Herbert Campaign (6) born New Brompton, Kent.
1871 Census
In the 1871 Census there is a Campaign family living at 60 Alma Street, Sheerness, Kent. It contains Sarah Campaign (30) Wife of Stoker, R.N., born XXXX (unreadable); William A. Campaign (5) Scholar, born Woolwich, Kent; and Herbert H. Campaign (7 mo) born Sheerness.
It looks as though the two Herberts were cousins, one born 1894 in New Brompton; the other 1896 in Chatham.
1911 Census
In the 1911 Census the children of the second Campaign family were living with their aunt and uncle at 73 Waterloo Road, Gillingham, Kent. The household is Charles John Blake (54) Supervisor - ships refitting, born Woolwich, Kent; Eliza Blake (49) born Rochester, Kent; William Campaign (19) Single, Nephew, Marine Engine Fitter Apprentice, born Gillingham; and Herbert Campaign (16) Single, Nephew, Shipwright Apprentice, born Gillingham.
1911 Census
In the 1911 Census, as a boy of 15, Herbert H. D. Campaign was living with his mother (35) and younger brother Frank (7), at 64 Gordon Road, Gillingham, Kent.
1921 Census
In the 1921 Census living at 23 Vernon Road, Milton, Portsmouth, were Rosa May Myers (33) Married, Head, Home Duties, born Southampton, Hants; Arthur Joseph Yule Myers (8) Whole time school, born Portsmouth; Vernon John Myers (7 months) born Portsmouth; Ada Violet Campaign (27) Sister, Married, Home Duties, born Portsmouth; and Herbert David Campaign (25) Married, Engine Room Artificer, Royal Navy, born Gillingham, Kent.
The National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations) 1936 has news of Herbert’s mother’s death:
CAMPAIGN Fanny Graham of 174 Langstone-road Milton Southsea Hampshire (wife of Herbert Henry Campaign) died 21 October 1935 at Portsmouth Mental Hospital Portsmouth Probate Winchester 7 April to the said Herbert Henry Campaign retired chargeman of shipwrights. Effects £152 3s 2d.
The Royal Navy Registers of Seamen's Services
The Royal Navy Registers of Seamen's Services, 1848-1939 (On Ancestry) tells us that he joined the RN on 14 January 1914, for 12 years, having been on the Boy List since 15 August 1911. His career was not unblemished, being warned about the standard of his workmanship. He was serving on HMS Lion as Engine Room Artificer 5th Class at the Battle of Jutland. He was appointed Lieutenant Engineer on 23 September 1925.
I surmise that Lieut. Campaign was attached to Vickers-Armstrongs in work related to the building of submarines.
In 1921, Mrs. Campaign (living at 62 Frensham Road, Southsea), set sail on the Guildford Castle for Ascension Island, presumably to join her husband. In 1936 Lieut. & Mrs. Campaign arrived in London on the P. & O. ship Ranpura, from Malta. The address is given as 174 Langstone Road, Milton, Portsmouth, the address of his mother when she died in hospital. His widow lived to be 95, and died in Portsmouth in 1989.
The 1939 Register
In the 1939 Register living at 19 Burney Road, Gosport, Hants are Herbert H. D. Campaign (DoB 14 January 1896) Commissioned Engineer, R.N. H.M.S. Dolphin; Ada V. Campaign (DoB 21 February 1896) Unpaid Domestic Duties; and Maureen F. Elliott (DoB 15 November 1916) Shorthand Typist.
Barrow News 14 August 1943:
Naval Lieut’s. Sudden Death In Barrow
The sudden death yesterday of Lieut. Herbert Henry David Campaign (47) R.N. of 2, Ilkley-road, Barrow, has been reported to the Barrow Police. He had 32 years in the Service. He had complained of pains in the chest at different periods during the last twelve months, but they had been severe in the past week. At 5.20 a.m. yesterday his wife awoke, owing to his apparently snoring and spoke to him, but got no reply. She then noticed he was in a kind of coma. She telephoned Dr. Swanson (sic?), who on arrival announced life extinct. He has submitted a probable cause certificate of coronary thrombosis.
Barrow News 21 August 1943 (obituaries column):
LIEUT. H. H. D. CAMPAIGN, R.N. BARROW.
The high respect in which the late Lieut. Herbert Henry David Campaign, R.N., of 2, Ilkley-road, Barrow, was held was evidenced at the funeral at Ulverston Cemetery on Monday afternoon.
Forty-seven years of age, he had had 32 years in the Service, and for some time had had duties at Barrow, where he had made many friends. He had complained of pains in the chest at times during the last twelve months, and they had been severe for a week or so. Just after five o’clock on the morning of Friday week, his wife awoke, owing to his apparent snoring, and spoke to him, but got no reply. Observing that he was in a coma she telephoned Dr. Swanson, who, on arrival, pronounced life extinct.
The Rev. F. Thompson, the Congregational minister, conducted the service in the church and at the graveside.
The mourners were Mrs. Campaign, widow; Mr. F. Campaign, brother; Mr. Joe Myers. Mr. Arthur Myers, and Mr. Walter Myers, nephews; Miss May Myers, niece; Mr. Wilson, the Misses Holden, Mr. Hawkins, Lieut. and Mrs. Southward, Miss Tees, Miss Booth, and Mrs. D.A. Cotman, who also represented Commander (E) D.A. Cotman, R.N.
Representatives from Vickers-Armstrongs, Ltd., were present.
A naval escort and firing party also attended.
Among the many beautiful wreaths were those from Rear Admiral C.B. Barry, D.S.O., R.N., and staff, Rear Admiral Le Motte, R.N., officers and ratings of H.M. ships, directors and staff, Naval Construction Works, Commander King, engineers’ officers, Royal Netherland Navy, officers of Royal Norwegian Navy, principal ships’ overseers and staff, Commander and Mrs. Aherne, friends in drawing office, Engineer Capt. Ascott and officers of staff, Admiralty overseers. Lieut. and Mrs. Southward, Chief and P.O.s E.R. Department of H.M. ships, engineering works managers, Engineering Dock Department, Commander and Mrs. Reeves, C.P.O. and P.O. of H.M. ships and principle (sic) and elect overseers and staff.
Naval ratings acted as bearers. Mr. W.J. Fox was the undertaker.
Barrie Downer (Barrow Submariners Association) writes about Herbert Campaign:
Herbert Campaign joined the Royal Navy as a Boy Artificer on 15th August 1911 (nb different date) at HMS FISGARD and was given the Official Number M3268. He completed his Apprenticeship on 17th October 1915 but took three months longer than originally planned.
His first ship was the 23,000-ton battleship HMS KING GEORGE V, in which he served from 10th November 1915 until 3rd April 1916. He next joined the 26,350-ton Battle Cruiser HMS LION on 4th April 1916. In this ship he served at the Battle of Jutland on 31st May/1st June 1916. He left HMS LION on 3rd September 1917 and after a brief stay in the Royal Naval Barracks at Portsmouth he joined the Destroyer HMS LYCHNIS on 15th November 1917. He served in this ship until 1st July 1919, again returning to the Royal Naval Barracks on the following day.
On 7th October 1919 Herbert Campaign was drafted to HMS EXCELLENT (the Gunnery School) at Whale Island in Portsmouth. Herbert Campaign was married to Ada Violet Hawkins in Portsmouth in the 2nd Quarter of 1920 (Vol. 2B Page 1215). He continued to serve in HMS EXCELLENT until 10th February 1921 and then returned to the Royal Naval Barracks where he served until 7th September 1921.
On the following day he was drafted to Ascension Island in the South Atlantic where he stayed for thirteen months before returning to the Royal Naval Barracks at Portsmouth on 1st November 1922.
He then stayed in Portsmouth until 9th June 1925 and, the following day he was drafted to the Destroyer Depot Ship HMS SANDHURST ‘for the Destroyer HMS WHITEHALL’. This was only a very short draft as, on 1st August 1925 he returned to the Barracks prior to promotion to Warrant Engineer.
Herbert Campaign was promoted to Warrant Engineer on 1st October 1925. The date of his appointment to HMS DOLPHIN ‘for the Submarine Course’ was 7th December 1925, on 18th February 1926 he was appointed to the Submarine Depot Ship HMS TITANIA (4th Submarine Flotilla) on the China Station at Hong Kong ‘for Submarines’. In August 1927 he was serving in ‘Submarine HMS L1 as Engineering Officer’ (4th Submarine Flotilla, China Station) to which he had been appointed on 15th December 1926.
His next appointment was to HMS PEMBROKE (the Royal Naval Barracks) at Chatham ‘for Submarines in Reserve’. On 15th April 1929 he was appointed to the Submarine Tender HMS ROSS ‘for Submarine HMS L22 as Engineering Officer’ and, by July 1931 he was serving in the Submarine Depot Ship HMS MEDWAY (4th Submarine Flotilla) at Hong Kong ‘for Submarine HMS ODIN as Engineering Officer’ to which he had been appointed on 20th September 1930.
In January 1935 he was serving in ‘Submarine HMS SEALION as Engineering Officer’ to which he had been appointed on 19th December 1933 ‘standing by whilst building’ at the Cammell Laird Shipyard at Birkenhead ‘and on Commissioning’. He was promoted to Commissioned Engineer on 1st October 1935. He was appointed to the Submarine Depot HMS DOLPHIN at Gosport ‘for Submarines’ on 2nd February 1939. Herbert Campaign was appointed Lieutenant (E) on 26th January 1940 but is reported to be serving in HMS DOLPHIN in April 1940.
