Sir Ronald Hugh Campbell (27 September 1883 – 15 November 1953) was a British diplomat who held several important positions including that of British ambassador to France from July 1939 to 22 June 1940, when the

armistice An armistice is a formal agreement of warring parties to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, as it may constitute only a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace. It is derived from t ...

between

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

and

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

was signed at

Compiègne Compiègne (; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Oise Departments of France, department of northern France. It is located on the river Oise (river), Oise, and its inhabitants are called ''Compiégnois'' (). Administration Compiègne is t ...

. He was appointed British ambassador in Paris from the post of British

envoy Envoy or Envoys may refer to: Diplomacy * Diplomacy, in general * Envoy (title) * Special envoy, a type of Diplomatic rank#Special envoy, diplomatic rank Brands *Airspeed Envoy, a 1930s British light transport aircraft *Envoy (automobile), an au ...

to Yugoslavia, a considerable jump in promotion that was extremely rare in the diplomatic service. Such an important position is normally reserved for diplomats who have passed through several legations and other embassies. However, it was long recognized that Campbell possessed outstanding abilities. Following the

fall of France The Battle of France (; 10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign (), the French Campaign (, ) and the Fall of France, during the Second World War was the German invasion of the Low Countries (Belgium, Luxembourg and the Net ...

in June 1940, he was evacuated through

Saint-Jean-de-Luz Saint-Jean-de-Luz (; ,Donibane Lohitzune
Auñamendi Encyclopedia, Auñamendi Eu ...

on on 24 June and returned to London. In November of the same year he was transferred to Lisbon to act as British ambassador. At Lisbon Campbell was instrumental in securing exit visas from Nazi-occupied Europe for Jewish Rabbis and their families, using the Red Cross and neutral diplomats to get the documents to those who needed them. The visas allowed for entry into Portugal and were ostensibly for onward travel to the British colony of Mauritius but in effect allowed the refugees to travel across Europe ultimately to safety in Palestine. This effort was recognised by the Chief Rabbi who wrote to the Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden in March 1944 to praise the efforts of Campbell and his staff. Accepting evidence that the "Mauritius" visas were saving holders from extermination, in June 1944 the British Colonial Office increased the number of visas to be issued to over 1,000 Rabbis and their families. Sir Ronald made a further critical contribution to the Allied War effort by persuading the Portuguese Government to allow the Azores to be used as a base for the Allies in the Battle of the Atlantic. He retired from the Foreign Office at the end of his period of service as British ambassador to

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

in July 1945. He died in 1953. His obituary in The TimesThe Times, No, 52781. 17 November 1953, p.10 said "he had long been recognised as one of the ablest and soundest men in the service and was recognised to possess special qualifications". At Lisbon, "a post of first importance", the obituarist recorded, "he gave invaluable services to his country...though much of his work has had necessarily to remain secret". h= References

Further reading