General Sir David Campbell | |
|---|---|
&sq=&lang=&file=File:Davidcampbell.jpg) General Sir David Campbell | |
| Nickname(s) | Soarer Barbara |
| Born | 28 January 1869 County Cork, Ireland[1] |
| Died | 12 March 1936 (aged 67) |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service | British Army |
| Years of service | 1889–1936 |
| Rank | General |
| Unit | 9th Queen's Royal Lancers |
| Commands | 21st Division Baluchistan District in India Aldershot Command |
| Battles / wars | Second Boer War First World War |
| Awards | Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath |
General Sir David Graham Muschet Campbell, GCB (28 January 1869 – 12 March 1936) was a cavalry officer of the British Army, an amateur sportsman, and later Governor of Malta.
After home service in Britain and Ireland his regiment, 9th Queen's Royal Lancers, was posted to South Africa in 1896, and on to India in 1898, though Campbell seems to have spent some of this period in the United Kingdom. The regiment returned to South Africa following the outbreak of the Second Boer War, during which he saw his first action. By the outbreak of the First World War he was in command of the regiment. He led them in two cavalry charges in the first months of the war; the second of these saw him receive multiple wounds, one of them from a lance, making him one of the last British casualties of that weapon. In November 1914 he was promoted to command 6th Cavalry Brigade, then in May 1916 came further promotion to command 21st Division. He retained that command for the rest of the war.
Post-war, he was knighted in 1919, and went on to hold further command and administrative positions in the army. He was General Officer Commanding (GOC) Baluchistan, 1920–24; Military Secretary, 1926–27; and GOC Aldershot Command 1927–31, when he argued for the increased mechanisation of the army. He was then appointed Governor of Malta, and died shortly after resigning that office in 1936.
During the early years of his military career Campbell was also a successful amateur National Hunt jockey, winning a number of major races; foremost amongst these was the Grand National of 1896, on The Soarer, which gave him his nickname in subsequent years (though his divisional staff referred to him as Barbara, for reasons now lost). He continued riding in military meets until the end of his army service. He was also a keen cricketer and polo player.