The H Campbell mentioned in Chailey’s Parish Magazine in May 1917 as serving as a private with the Welsh Guards was 3749 Pte Harold Leslie Campbell of Cooksbridge, Hamsey.  He was born on 14th January 1899 and, according to his army service number, must have joined the Welsh Guards on about 12th March 1917.  Number 3746 was certainly issued to a Guardsman on this day.

 

Harold appears on the 1901 census of England and Wales as a two year old living at Cooksbridge with his family.  The family comprised Frederick Campbell (head, aged 36, working as a farmer), his wife Annie and their four children: Florence Campbell (aged seven), Frederick Campbell (aged four), Harold, and Albert Campbell (aged two months).  All of the children were born in Hamsey.

 

Two other sons, Donald John Campbell and Stanley Campbell would follow in 1902 and 1905 respectively.

 

In July 1918, Chailey Parish Magazine reports that Private H Campbell has been wounded and this information is then repeated monthly up to and including the final published roll in July 1919.  In August 1919, reporting the peace celebrations, the parish magazine reports that Harold Campbell came second in the 200 yards’ walk for soldiers.

 

Chailey resident Reg Philpott, interviewed in 2003, still remembered - and marvelled - how, although he lost an arm during the First World War, somehow still managed to milk a cow once he had settled back into peacetime life.  He married Elizabeth Davidson-Watt on 6th November 1926 and the couple had three children.

 

Harold’s brother Fred also served during the First World War but the brothers’ connection with the village of Chailey is unknown.  It is possible that they were farm labourers although this is pure conjecture.

 

Harold's service record does not appear to have survived, however his medal index card notes his entitlement to the British War and Victory Medals and the Silver War Badge.

 

 

Sources and Acknowledgements

 

• Chailey Parish Magazine
• 1901 Census of England and Wales
• www.ancestry.co.uk for information on the Campbell family tree
• Reg Philpott of Chailey