| Kenneth Campbell |
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Information AboutKenneth Campbell |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT KENNETH CAMPBELL | |
| 1917 births | |
| campbell, kenneth | |
| 1941 deaths | |
| people from north ayrshire | |
| british world war ii victoria cross recipients | |
| old sedberghians | |
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DETAILS He was 24 years old, and a Flying Officer in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve , serving on No. 22 Squadron RAF , during the Second World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC. On 6 April 1941 over Brest Harbour, France , Flying Officer Campbell attacked the German battle-cruiser ''Gneisenau''. He ran the gauntlet of concentrated anti-aircraft fire from about 1000 weapons of all calibers and launched a torpedo at a height of 50 feet. The ship was severely damaged below the waterline and was obliged to return to the dock whence she had come only the day before, she was out of action for 6 months, which thus allowed allied shipping to cross the Atlantic without any threat. Flying Officer Campbell's aircraft met a withering wall of flak and crashed into the harbour. The Germans buried Campbell and his other three crew mates with full military honours. His valour was only recognised when the French resistance managed to leak news of his brave deeds to England. A memorial to him stands in his old school, Sedbergh, commemorating his brave deeds. FURTHER INFORMATION At a small ceremony in his home town of Saltcoats in Ayrshire on 6 April 2000 , the 59th anniversary of his death at Brest, a memorial plaque and bench were unveiled by his sister in law, and his 90 year old brother handed over his VC to the safekeeping of the commanding officer of the present day 22 Squadron. REFERENCES
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This page has been from the Victoria Cross Reference with permission. |
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