The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (NX128148) Private Harold Alexander Campbell, 2/10th Battalion, AIF, Second World War

The Last Post Ceremony is presented in the Commemorative area of the Australian War Memorial each day. The ceremony commemorates more than 102,000 Australians who have given their lives in war and other operations and whose names are recorded on the Roll of Honour. At each ceremony the story behind one of the names on the Roll of Honour is told. Hosted by Charis May, the story for this day was on (NX128148) Private Harold Alexander Campbell, 2/10th Battalion, AIF, Second World War.

Please note that there was an error in the spoken text referring to the service of the five Campbell brothers - Harold, Alex, Roger and Joseph served in the Army and John with the Royal Australian Air Force.

In the speech text the word TRAIL has been changed to TRACK at the family's request.

NX128148 Private Harold Alexander Campbell, 2/10th Battalion, AIF
DOW 12 January 1943

No photograph in collection.

Story delivered 19 April 2014

Today we remember and pay tribute to Private Harold Alexander Campbell.

Harold Campbell was born in Wodonga in Victoria in 1913. Known to his family as "Lal", Campbell was married with two children and working as a plasterer in Sydney when he enlisted in August 1942. He had previously been in the militia for two years, as part of the 114 Heavy Battery Coastal Artillery Defence at Middle Head in Sydney. Harold was one of five brothers to serve during the Second World War - his brothers Alex, Roger and Joseph served in the army; and John in the Royal Australian Air Force.

Harold Campbell was posted to the 2/10th Battalion of the 2nd Australian Imperial Force, which had been involved in the defence of Tobruk in 1941 and later formed part of the force garrisoning Syria. When Campbell joined the battalion it was on its way to New Guinea.

In 1942 and early 1943 the 2/10th Battalion fought a series of bitter and costly battles on Papua. It had been overwhelmed by Japanese marines shortly after arrival at Milne Bay in August, and suffered heavy casualties between 23 December and 2 January in a series of ill-conceived attacks against Japanese bunkers around the old airstrip at Buna. The 2/10th had another engagement at Sanananda in mid-January 1943.

Private Campbell died of wounds on 12 January 1943. His body now rests alongside more than 3,500 Australian war dead in the Commonwealth War Cemetery at Bomana, Port Moresby. Campbell's younger brother Roger was fighting in New Guinea with the 2/1st Battalion at the time. Roger was wounded during clashes on the Kokoda Track and was recovering in hospital when Harold was brought in, but sadly did not know until after his brother's death that they were there at the same time.

Private Harold Campbell was 29 when he died. Exactly one month after his death Campbell's wife, Pauline, gave birth to their third child - a son she named Graeme Harold Campbell. Their two other boys, Michael and Denis, were aged five and 18 months respectively.

The name of Private Harold Campbell is listed on the Roll of Honour on my left, along with around 40,000 others from the Second World War. There is no photograph in the Memorial's collection to display beside the Pool of Reflection.

This is but one of the many stories of courage and sacrifice told here at the Australian War Memorial. We now remember Private Campbell and all of those Australians who have given their lives in service of our nation.