| William Campbell was the son of William and Rachel Campbell. William Campbell and Rachel Speer were married on 13th February 1906 in the district of Magherafelt.
|
| The 1911 census has a possible listing of the family living at house 33 in Drumenagh, Ballyronan. His father was a farm labourer.
|
| William Thomas Campbell was born near Ballyronan, on 17th January 1917. He was one of at least five children.
|
| Known family: William Campbell, Rachel Campbell, Margaret Campbell (born 19th March 1908, died 19th April 1908), Mary Ann Campbell 2 (born 4th January 1909), Dawson Campbell (born 21st September 1910), Agnes Campbell (born 12th July 1914), William Thomas Campbell (17th January 1917, Ballyronan).
|
|
| William Campbell enlisted in Omagh on 29th January 1934.
|
| The following letter, dated 8th August 1939, gives an indication to his sense of humour:
|
| 'Dear Mother, In answer to your last two letters and which I was glad to get, glad to see you are all keeping well as this leaves me just as usual. Well mother, Mary must have kept her marriage a bit of a secret, for Tillie was telling me in the last letter that she thought she was getting married. So I see she has now already done so. Dawson never writes or neither does Mary so you see I will have no bother calling her by her new name, but I would like a letter from Dawson very much. The time here is very dull and I am beginning to think my time long of going in, it is just like home here plenty of rain and cold weather and nowhere to go and it gets a fellow like me down being used to plenty of life. You need not be scared of me getting married for I think that I will remain single as I am still pretty much of a woman hater and they always get a fellow in a lot of trouble. Well mother, it is just a little bit chancy yet whether I get home this year or not but they have got to let me home next year. I hope that it all goes well and Hitler does not declare war before that. I hear that fags are very dear at home now, I don’t know what a fellow will do for smokes around here now. I have had no reply as yet from Tillie and I was expecting one from her before I got yours, but you answered first. Tell Mary I said to drop me a line sometime and let me know how she is keeping. Well mother, I will have to close as this is all at present, so write soon. From Willie to mother, with love. Xxx
|
| 1942
|
| Fusilier William Campbell was serving with the 1st Battalion of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers when he died on active service on 10th April 1942.
|
| From the Mid Ulster Mail dated 29th August 1942:
|
|
| CAMPBELL – April 1942, William Thomas Campbell, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, son of the late William Campbell and Mrs Glendinning, Ballyronan, Deeply regretted by his sorrowing brother and sister-in-law, Duneane, Randalstown.
|
| From the Mid Ulster Mail dated 29th August 1942:
|
|
| CAMPBELL – April 1942, William Thomas Campbell, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, son of the late William Campbell and Mrs Glendinning, Ballyronan, Deeply regretted by his sorrowing mother, step-father, sisters and brother-in-law.
|
| 1944
|
| From the Mid Ulster Mail dated 8th April 1944:
|
|
| CAMPBELL – Accidentally killed on foreign service, April 1942, William Thomas Campbell, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.
|
|
‘Sweet is your memory nearest our heart
|
|
Our love and your memory never shall part
|
|
We know that the years, be they many or few,
|
|
Will be years of remembrance of you.’
|
| Ever remembered by his sorrowing mother, step-father, sisters and brother-in-law. Ballyronan.
|
| From the Mid Ulster Mail dated 8th April 1944:
|
|
| CAMPBELL – Accidentally killed on foreign service, April 1942, William Thomas Campbell, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.
|
|
‘Over there he sleeps with the brave
|
|
No tears of ours can fall on his grave
|
|
Unknown to the world, he stands by our side
|
|
And whispers in the silence – ‘Death Cannot Divide’
|
| Ever remembered by his sorrowing brother and sister-in-law, nephew and niece. Duneane, Randalstown.
|
| 1945
|
| From the Mid Ulster Mail dated Saturday 21st April 1945:
|
|
| CAMPBELL – Accidentally killed on foreign service, April 1942, William Thomas Campbell, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.
|
|
‘Too far away your grave to see,
|
|
But not too far away to think of thee.’
|
| Ever remembered by his sorrowing mother, step-father, sisters and brother-in-law. Ballyronan.
|
| From the Mid Ulster Mail dated Saturday 21st April 1945:
|
|
| CAMPBELL – Accidentally killed on foreign service, April 1942, William Thomas Campbell, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. Memories will ever remain. Ever remembered by his sorrowing brother and sister-in-law, nephew and niece. Duneane, Randalstown.
|
| 1946
|
| From the Mid-Ulster Mail, unknown date in 1946.
|
|
We, who loved you, sadly miss you as it dawns another year."
|
|
"Not a day do we forget you, in our hearts you are always near,
|
| Submitted by his family, Ballyronan and Duneane, Randalstown.
|
| Fusilier William Campbell has no known grave and is commemorated on face 11 on the Rangoon Memorial in Myanmar.
|
| The CWGC record Fusilier William Campbell as the son of William and Rachel Campbell.
|
|
