LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Macquarie James CAMPBELL
Service No: 420454
Born: Port Macquarie NSW, 2 July 1923
Enlisted in the RAAF: 8 November 1941
Unit: No. 620 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Chedburgh
Died: Air Operation (No. 620 Squadron Stirling aircraft EH946), France, 1 September 1943, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Dunkirk Town Cemetery, Nord, France
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Joseph Edward and Selina Thamazin Campbell, of Port Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Sydney NSW
Remembered: Panel 120, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 2012 hours on the night of 31 August 1943, Stirling EH946 took off from Chedburgh detailed to bomb Berlin. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft was shot down by a night fighter and crashed Looberghe (Nord), 12 kms south south west of Dunkirk, France. Five of the crew members were killed and two became Prisoners of War.
The crew members of EH946 were:
Flight Sergeant Sydney Edmund Birkett (1115374) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flying Officer Macquarie James Campbell (420454) (Pilot)
Flying Officer Henry George Fuller Cox (42291) (RAF) (Navigator) PoW
Sergeant Thomas Harold Loke (1575942) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Arthur Henry Smith (416548) (RNZAF) (Air Bomber) PoW
Sergeant Albert Edward Taylor (1603089) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Sergeant William Dennis Whitfield (1299235) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
In a PoW report, Flying Officer Cox stated: “at about 0300 hours as a result of damage caused by flak and enemy fighters, our aircraft was losing height rapidly and became out of control. At a height of less than 2,000 feet, the Captain ordered Bale out. I left from the forward hatch with the Captain still at the controls. On reaching the ground, I saw a fire about one mile to the north, which I assumed was our aircraft. The Germans said all were killed except myself and Smith.”
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, 166/7/188