Reginald Campbell

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Reginald Campbell (1894–1950) was a British writer and Naval officer in WWI, then an assistant forest manager in Siam in the 1920s. His novel Poo Lorn of the Elephants was filmed by Alejandro Jodorowsky in 1980 under the name Tusk.^[1] Another novel, Tiger Valley, was filmed in 1936 by Howard Bretherton as The Girl from Mandalay. He described his personal experiences in Thailand in the book Teak-Wallah: The Adventures of a Young Englishman in Thailand in the 1920s.

In his book "Teak Wallah," he describes a character called Smith, his assistant in Muang Ngow - Flight Lieutenant 'Dick' Frederick Murison, who almost died from fever in the teak jungle and later served as a bomber pilot in Afghanistan in the late 20s.^[2] Smith may be the real-life Mr. W. Elder, Forest Manager of Anglo-Siam Forest Company, a heroic figure who lived amongst the elephants of Muang Ngow near Lakon (in the book Nakon), who retired in Riverhead, Kent, dying in about 1935. He describes life as an assistant forest manager with its dangers from disease and wild animals while logging teak with elephants.

Campbell's book "Jungle Nights" concerns an elephant breeder and trader in Siam in the 1920s. The climactic scene includes a Roman-style elephant charge in phalanx formation against an evil Mongol elephant trader. The character of Tubby Kenson is a bumbling teak wallah may be based partly on Fred Murison, to whom Campbell inscribed a copy of the book in December, 1934. The hero, Jim Dales, is an autobiographical character. This book is out of print and rare.^[3]

Other works include "Cruiser In Action" about his Naval experiences, and "Fear in the Forest," a jungle adventure.