LEST WE FORGET
Squadron Leader Duncan CAMPBELL
Service No: 134
Born: Leeds, England, 30 September 1915
Enlisted in the RAAF: 20 January 1936 (at RAAF Station Point Cook VIC)
Unit: No. 3 Squadron
Died: Air Operations: (No. 3 Squadron Hurricane aircraft V7567), Egypt-Libya Border area, 5 April 1941, Aged 25 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Colin and Maria Campbell, of Dulwich Hill, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Column 245, Alamein Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 98, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Concord RSL Memorial Court, Concord NSW
On 5April 1941 Hurricane V7567 flown by Squadron Leader Campbell, led a formation of Hurricanes on an offensive fighter patrol over Australian Army front line troops, 25 miles south west of Maraura. At approximately 1500 hours GMT the formation was attacked by 12 JU87s dive bombing allied troops. In the ensuing dogfight, 9 JU87s were shot down and confirmed. V6567 failed to return from the mission.
Army personnel later stated that one Hurricane had been attacked by a JU87 as it was attacking another JU87. The Hurricane pulled up steeply to approximately 500 feet, and then fell away in a steep dive with smoke and flames coming from it. The Hurricane was not seen to crash but it disappeared behind a low hill in a steep dive, crashing in enemy territory.
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 163/25/
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line