Australia Service Medal : Corporal S P Campbell, 2/2 Australian Infantry Battalion

Places
Accession Number REL33842.006
Collection type Heraldry
Object type Medal
Physical description Cupronickel
Maker Unknown
Place made Australia
Date made c 1949-1950
Conflict Second World War, 1939-1945
Description

Australia Service Medal. Impressed around edge with recipient's details.

History / Summary

NX11478 Sydney Peter Campbell was born in Narrabri, NSW, on 7 May 1909. He was working as a traveller, based at Summer Hill in Sydney when he enlisted in the Second AIF on 28 March, 1940, at Paddington, NSW.

Campbell was allocated to the 2/2nd Infantry Battalion. He served in North Africa, Greece and Syria before the battalion left to return to Australia on 11 March 1942. Diverted to defend Ceylon (Sri Lanka) from Japanese attack, between 27 March and 13 July, the battalion finally reached Melbourne in early August. Campbell had been promoted to corporal on 7 July.

The battalion arrived in New Guinea at the end of September and was deployed to the Kokoda Track. Campbell survived the battalion's first major engagement at Templeton's Crossing. During the approach to Oivi on 8 November, he was section leader of 12 Platoon. While leading the section with two forward scouts on a jungle track, Campbell was killed instantly by fire from a concealed Japanese sniper. A burial service was held by Padre Philip at the side of the track where he had died.

In a letter to Campbell's parents, dated 18 December 1942, his commanding officer, Captain I B Ferguson wrote: 'If all NCO's were of the calibre of your son, nothing would ever stop the AIF'.

Campbell's remains were later exhumed and reburied in the Kokoda War Cemetery. After the war they were exhumed once more and reinterred at Port Moresby (Bomana) War Cemetery.