Donald Campbell, RAN
By Marg Powell, Specialist Library Technician, Metadata Services | 8 April 2022
Studio portrait of Ordinary Seaman Donald McCallum Campbell. Item 226 - 30693, Hugh Andrew Geraldton Campbell papers, State Library of Queensland
Donald Campbell was just 17 years old when he enlisted in the Navy. It was May 1943 and, with the Japanese starting to encroach on Australia, he was inspired to contribute. After his initial training at the HMAS Cerberus training base in Victoria, Donald was assigned to HMAS Parkes, a Bathurst-class corvette designed to undertake anti-submarine and minesweeping duties.
Five seamen from HMAS Parkes while deployed overseas during the Second World War, 1943-1945. Item 231 - 30693, Hugh Andrew Geraldton Campbell papers, State Library of Queensland.
For the most part, life at sea was relatively routine on the Parkes. Occasionally, however, Donald and the crew saw some interesting sights. In December 1944 they rescued six Dutch POWs who had used a canoe to escape their Japanese captors. In August 1945 they helped extract Z Force commandos after a secret mission in enemy territory. They were also present at the surrender ceremony in Timor. Witnessing the transfer from Japanese to Allied power would have been a momentous occasion for Donald.
After the end of the war, Donald returned to Australia and left the Navy. He married his sweetheart, Kathleen, in 1957, and settled into a quiet, family-oriented life in Alderley.
Military service ran in Donald’s family. In World War One his father, Hugh Campbell, served as a Lieutenant in the 11th Field Company Engineers. Both Hugh and Donald were careful record keepers, savings diaries, letters, photographs and other mementos from various points in their careers. These are now preserved as part of the Hugh Andrew Geraldton Campbell papers at State Library of Queensland. Many of the items in the collection are digitised and can be viewed online.
Autographed F.N.D. Regatta Winners, 87 Class, taken at the naval base HMAS Cerberus, Victoria.
There are sixteen signatures on the mount: Leiton Paul Ducat, C. Tanner, M. Patrick, K.M. Jones, T.H. Golan, M.L. Byrne, W. Harris, A.A. Smith, Alexander Harold Rohrlach, R.J. Somerville, [?] Holman, E.R. Pritchard, A.R. Hay, Raymond George Chitty, W.R. Jones, and L.R. Scott.
Donald Campbell’s story is also featured in the digital displays and exhibition at the Anzac Square Memorial Galleries, in Brisbane.
Read more ...
30693, Hugh Andrew Geraldton Campbell papers
Service records
- Donald McCallum Campbell - National Archives of Australia, Series A6770, Item ID 4404873
- Hugh Andrew Campbell - National Archives of Australia, Series B2455, Item ID 1854003
- Royal Australian Navy - History of HMAS Parkes
Further stories of Naval Service
OH58, Australia Remembers, Second World War Oral History, 1995-2004. State Library of Queensland
Anzac Portal, Department of Veteran Affairs - War at sea 1939-1945
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