Campbell, William Twaddle

William Twaddle Campbell began his military service in the 17th Battalion Highland Light Infantry (Glasgow Chamber of Commerce). His previous employment as a clerk may have been a factor in his joining this specific battalion. The Regimental History of the 17th HLI lists William as a volunteer who joined sometime between the Battalion’s formation on September 12th 1914 and its embarkation for France on November 22nd 1915.

Although William’s service record does not survive, the date of his enlistment can be narrowed down using his service number. As both the earlier number 15527 and the later 15554 enlisted on the 13th of September, it is probable that William enlisted on that day as well. The record of Soldiers Who Died in the Great War states that he enlisted in Glasgow.

William’s medal index card confirms that he accompanied the 17th HLI to France, landing on the 22nd of November 1915 after over a year in training. As it is unknown which Company William served with, it is uncertain which events he personally took part in. His first experience of trench warfare would regardless have been in the vicinity of Bouzincourt, just north of Albert, either on the 1st or the 3rd of December. These trenches had suffered heavily from a hard frost followed by heavy rain and literally collapsed and there were reports of men drowning in the mud.

Information supplied by the Royal Highland Fusilier Museum intimates that William remained with the 17th HLI until the summer of 1916, when he was wounded for the first time. The exact circumstances and timing of William’s injury is uncertain, but it is possible that he was wounded on July 1st when the Battalion lost 460 men attacking the Leipzig Salient on the first day of the Battle of the Somme.

William’s wounds were serious enough to see him removed from the fighting for a time as he left the 17th HLI. However, they were not serious enough to keep him out of the war and he was transferred to the 2nd HLI. By late 1917, for reasons unknown, he was attached to the 9th Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) with whom he was once again wounded. Again specific details are unknown, but it is possible that William was wounded in the 12th of October attack near St. Julien, during the Battle of Passchendaele.

His injuries from this engagement may not have been as bad as those of the previous year as by 1918 he was once again back in the trenches. According to the Imperial War Museum’s record of the Glasgow Pals Battalions, William was finally killed in action while serving with the 2nd HLI. However, on his official date of death, April 4/5th, the 2nd HLI War Diary states that the battalion was in Billets, well behind the line and records no casualties on those days.

The circumstances of William’s death, is thus as uncertain as those of his wounding in 1916 and 1917. It is possible that he was wounded or killed in heavy fighting between the 24th and 28th of March, when the 2nd HLI took part in resisting the German ‘Spring Offensive’. With no known grave, it is conceivable that William was not reported killed until his death was verified over a week later. However, lacking further detail on his service, the exact circumstances remain unknown.