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James Kenneth Campbell 102 (Ceylon) Squadron ~ Pocklington

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JAMES KENNETH CAMPBELL A much loved and missed son of James and Maria, brother to Gordon, and, of course, my ‘unknown’ Uncle Ken Sweet is your memory Dear is your name Deep in my heart, Ken You will always remain Paul B Campbell 2019 And when you come to 102 And think that you will go right through There’s many a fool who thought like you It’s suicide but it’s fun Anonymous member of 102 Squadron - 1941 Acknowledgements Writing this account of my Uncle Ken’s life has been both very enjoyable and extremely sad - and many emotions in between those two extremes. But I believe that it is important for his memory to live on. He never had the chance to have a family, and I am the only son of his brother Gordon, so I am the last male of our blood line (which I have traced back to the 1820s in the village of Fern in Angus, Scotland) to bear the surname Campbell. As I already had a great interest separately in both family history and the Great War, I had already done much research on ancestors who had fought and/or been lost in that war, so the challenge of researching Ken was one that I took on with relish. Hence I will forever be grateful to Jenny Wilson who I met on line, and then in person at the first 102 Squadron Association Reunion Dinner that I attended in May 2015. She was there with her father Joe, an Air Bomber like Ken. What I learned from her (no spoilers) put the seed of the story in my mind. But it was always something that I was “going to do”, and never got round to. Then at the end of 2015 I was diagnosed with rectal cancer, and spent the whole of 2016 undergoing chemo and radio therapy treatment, surgery, and recovery, which made me realise that we are all mortal and I really should do it. Yet still I did nothing, and it wasn’t until we met again at the 2018 reunion that Jenny asked me if I had written the story and I had to admit that I hadn’t. I had the feeling that she was disappointed (in me) and so I promised her that I would do it. Well November came around, and with it the Remembrance Weekend at Pocklington. Sitting around a table in The Feathers Inn with Joe, Jenny, Harry Bartlett Secretary of 102 Squadron Association) and his brother John, Lou Waring, John Williams, and the shades of young airmen, I showed them a small display remembering Ken and his crewmates that I had made and brought with me, hoping to persuade the Gliding Club at Pocklington airfield to hang it a wall in their clubhouse. Talk turned to the story that I hadn’t yet started writing, and Jenny and Lou made me promise to make a start on it – like NOW. Which I did – and now it is complete. Paul B Campbell New Brighton 22 Jan 2019 My major sources of information have been:- http://www.flensted.eu.com/ https://www.airmen.dk/ http://aircrewremembered.com/ http://www.yorkshire-aircraft.co.uk/ https://www.cwgc.org/ Bomber Command Crews and Aircraft Pictures (Facebook Group). Just post a photo and/or a query on there and within ten minutes the first reply appears!! Soren Flensted (flensted.eu), with whom I have corresponded, and who sent me photographs of both the crash and German documents relating to it, and gave me permission to use them. Pete Tresarden (www.35squadron.wordpress.com) who helped me tremendously in deciphering Ken’s Service Record, and not only helped me to understand what Ken would have been doing at each stage of his training, but also sent me copies of his pamphlets relating to that training. Thanks to Clare Oliphant, who added to the “white elephant” anecdote. She is the niece of Ronnie Mather, the other man in the photograph with Ken. Also my thanks to Errol Martyn (New Zealand) for many of the documents pertaining to Sgt Thomas Samuel Eric Bennett RNZAF – via Pete Tresarden. 1065510 Sgt James Kenneth Campbell 102 (Ceylon) Squadron ~ Pocklington The Early Years On December 26th 1919, in St Mary’s Church, West Bank, Widnes, James Campbell married Maria Harrison. Witnesses to the wedding were James’ brother Harold and Maria’s sister Caroline, who had lost her husband Moses Sandbach during the Great War. Just over a year later Maria gave birth to her first child, and James Kenneth (Ken) Campbell entered the world on February 6th 1921, in their home in West Bank. Caroline, by now Caroline Wilson, lived nearby with her son Danny, and the two families were very close. Here is a photo of them on a family outing away from the grime and smoke of the streets of terraced houses that was West Bank, so called because the area stood on the west bank of the River Mersey. The photo was taken in 1928, probably at West Bank marshes. On the back row, left to right, are Carrie, Danny and Ken. In front are Maria and James, and sitting between Maria’s legs is Ken’s younger brother Gordon (my father), born on 11th February 1927. As a boy Ken attended Oakland Street Methodist Sunday School where, in 1931, he was awarded a bible as a first prize. He was clearly proud of this achievement as he had the bible with him when he was at Wade Deacon Grammar School. On the left can be seen a scrap of This flyleaf at the back of the bible reads “Kenneth paper saying “K Campbell – Form IVB” Campbell - Form IIIB Room ? – 1934-35 – No 2537” Ken was your typical West Bank teenager who, with a river on his doorstep, would often go swimming with his friends. However my Dad did tell me that there was one occasion when, with the Mersey being tidal, he got into difficulty and had to be rescued. Apparently his brush with death got him an appearance in the local newspaper ~ The Widnes Weekly News, and it wouldn’t be the last time as we shall see later. The photo shows Ken (2nd from the right), aged about 16, with three of his friends. They are standing on West Bank foreshore with the old Transporter Bridge behind them. Coming of Age & Joining the RAFVR The 1939 Register, taken on 29th September, shows that the family, including Ken’s 12 year old brother Gordon (my father), had moved to 62 Beamont Street, less than half a mile from where James lived at the time of his marriage and just round the corner from Irwell Street, where Maria had lived in 1919 and where Carrie was still living. Ken was 18 years old. I do not know why the entry for Ken on the register is officially closed, yet the one for Gordon is open. As far as I can determine, entries for those born less than 100 years ago who are alive are supposed to be closed, but for deceased are supposed to be open. Both were alive, so why Gordon’s is there but Ken’s is redacted I have no idea. Ken would not enlist for another 11 months, so it cannot be related to any official military purposes. 1940 In 1940, at the age of 19, Ken enlisted in the RAFVR for the ‘duration of the present emergency’, his Airman’s Service Book showing the date of Attestation as 23rd August. This document shows his rank as AC2 (Aircraftsman 2nd Class), although his official Service Record gives it as ACH/W.Op (Aircrafthand / Wireless Operator). By 1940, all aircrew began with W.Op training before moving on to further “trades”, although even then they had the unofficial title of WO/AG (Wireless Operator/ Air Gunner). Having originally nominated his father as next of kin, for some reason it was later changed to his mother. As his father didn’t die until 1946, I have no idea as to why this was done. One of the two pages that make up Ken’s service record. The top part shows his postings, his mustering points and his annual assessments. At the bottom are shown his promotions And so began Ken’s time in the RAF, serving his King and Country. 23rd August 1940 Ken reported to 3 RC Padgate to enlist. This was #3 Recruits Centre at RAF Padgate, near Warrington – not far from his home in Widnes. Here he underwent the “Basic Introduction to Service Life”. This included kitting out, medicals, inoculations, fatigues, service drills, and being given his first rank of ACH (Aircrafthand) or AC2 (Aircraftsman 2nd Class). His trade was ACH/WOP. meaning that he was mustered as an Aircraft Hand, and was under training as a Wireless Operator. He was then supposed to be posted to 942 Squadron (more on this later), but for some unknown reason the posting was cancelled. 29th August 1940 Six days after he enlisted Ken was posted to 3 Wg 5 RC. This was #5 Recruits Centre, based at West Kirby on The Wirral. Recruits were divided into groups, each called a “Wing”, and he was placed into 3 Wing. Here he would have continued with a further month of basic training, learning about service life, including drills, fatigues, physical training and lectures on such subjects as hygiene & sanitation; RAF law, procedure & discipline; armament; anti-gas procedures amongst others. 1st October 1940 Ken was posted to 10 Sigs RC.
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