Vice-Admiral Vice admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, usually equivalent to lieutenant general and air marshal. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral. Australia In the Royal Australian Navy, the rank of vic ...

Gordon Campbell, (6 January 1886 – 3 October 1953) was a British naval officer, writer, politician and a recipient of the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British decorations system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British ...

, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...

forces. He was also awarded the

Croix de Guerre The (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first awarded during World ...

and appointed a chevalier of the

Légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

for his actions during the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

Early life and career

Born on 6 January 1886 to Frederick Campbell, he was educated at Dulwich College Preparatory School (

Dulwich Prep London Dulwich Prep & Senior (DPS), formerly known as Dulwich Prep London (2011-2024) and Dulwich College Preparatory School (1885-2011), is an independent school in Dulwich, south London, England for boys aged 2 - 16 years, with a co-educational Nurser ...

) before moving to

Dulwich College Dulwich College is a 2-18 private, day and boarding school for boys in Dulwich, London, England. As a public school, it began as the College of God's Gift, founded in 1619 by Elizabethan actor Edward Alleyn, with the original purpose of ...

, which he attended between 1898 and 1900. He then enlisted the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

as a cadet and was in October 1902 posted as a

midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest Military rank#Subordinate/student officer, rank in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Royal Cana ...

to the battleship serving in the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...

. He was promoted to Sub-lieutenant in 1905,

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

in 1907 and

commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many army, armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countri ...

in March 1916. It was during the

that he was awarded the

for the following action: After, he was promoted to Captain on the 7th June 1917, and was awarded his Victoria Cross in 1918. Campbell also commanded during the action of 8 August 1917 when she was sunk by SM ''UC-71''.

Victoria Crosses The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the British decorations system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was p ...

were awarded to two members of the crew who were selected by ballot from amongst the crew of ''Dunraven'', Lieutenant Charles George Bonner and Petty Officer Ernest Herbert Pitcher. Campbell received his second

Bar Bar or BAR may refer to: Food and drink * Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages * Candy bar ** Chocolate bar * Protein bar Science and technology * Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment * Bar (tropical cyclone), a laye ...

to his

Distinguished Service Order The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a Military awards and decorations, military award of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth, awarded for operational gallantry for highly successful ...

(DSO).

Later life

Campbell later achieved the rank of

vice admiral Vice admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, usually equivalent to lieutenant general and air marshal. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral. Australia In the Royal Australian Navy, the rank of Vice ...

. He commanded the battlecruiser from 1925 to 1927 and served as Naval Aide-de-Camp to

George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936. George w ...

from 1928 to 1929. In 1931, he was elected as

National National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, c ...

Member of Parliament for

Burnley Burnley () is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a 2021 population of 78,266. It is north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River B ...

, defeating the Labour leader,

Arthur Henderson Arthur Henderson (13 September 1863 – 20 October 1935) was a British iron moulder and Labour Party (UK), Labour politician. He was the first Labour Cabinet of the United Kingdom, cabinet minister, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1934 and, uniqu ...

. In 1935, however, standing as a Liberal National, he lost his seat. In the Second World War, Campbell was recalled to the Royal Navy and, serving in the rank of

, was responsible for anti-invasion measures around

Padstow Padstow (; ) is a town, civil parishes in England, civil parish and fishing port on the north coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town is situated on the west bank of the River Camel estuary, approximately northwest of Wadebridge, ...

.Tempting the Fates,17 Aug 200, Dare Wilson Campbell wrote several publications, including the successful ''My Mystery Ships''. His brother,

Sir Edward Campbell, 1st Baronet Sir Edward Taswell Campbell, 1st Baronet, KStJ JP (9 April 1879 – 17 July 1945) was a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom. Ancestry He was the son of Lieutenant Colonel Frederick Campbell (15 June 1843 – Airds, Sydenham ...

, was also a Member of Parliament. His

is held at his old school,

References

External links

* * * illustrated account of Gordon Campbell, "the most famous Q-ship officer" {{DEFAULTSORT:Campbell, Gordon 1886 births 1953 deaths Burials in Hampshire British military writers British World War I recipients of the Victoria Cross Knights of the Legion of Honour Companions of the Distinguished Service Order Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for English constituencies National Liberal Party (UK, 1931) politicians People educated at Dulwich College People from Croydon Politics of Burnley Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1914–1918 (France) Royal Navy vice admirals Royal Navy officers of World War I Royal Navy recipients of the Victoria Cross UK MPs 1931–1935 Military personnel from Surrey