Leveson Granville Byron Alexander Campbell

Captain (retired) Leveson Granville Byron Alexander Campbell, D.S.O., R.N. (9 June, 1881 – 20 October,1951) was an officer in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Born the son of Major Leveson G. Campbell, Campbell gained seven months' time on passing out of Britannia. He was appointed to Blake in the Channel on 1 June, 1897 and served in her until he was ordered home by telegram on 12 March 1898. He served primarily in large ships, at first, though he did spend the first half of 1902 in the destroyer Vigilant.

Campbell was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 31 March, 1903. He was sent to the second class protected cruiser Medea in the Cruiser Squadron 9 July, 1903.

In 1903, Campbell applied to qualify for navigation duties and was refused. However, in September of the next year, he completed a ten day course working with navigation officers under the direction of Captain John E. Bearcroft.

In January, 1908, as Campbell was coming to the end of an appointment in the battleship Swiftsure, he was recommended for command of a T.B.D.. Captain Cradock wrote of him, "efficient & reliable. Capital judgment on the bridge, I feel confident he will do well in a flotilla." Accordingly, Campbell received his first command appointment to the Acasta Class destroyer Contest in February, 1908. He applied to study German in January, 1909 and in March he was excused examinations for command of torpedo craft.

Although Campbell contributed to good gunnery and torpedo results for T.B. 31 in 1909, the Commander-in-Chief expressly blamed Campbell for grounding T.B. 81 on 14 April, 1910.

Campbell was appointed in command of the first-class torpedo boat T.B. 81 on 24 February, 1910.

Campbell was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 31 March, 1911.

Campbell was appointed in command of the destroyer Renard of the Third Destroyer Flotilla on 28 June, 1912. This appointment would carry him well into the war. In February 1913, his work generally impressed Captain (D) Carey, "but results [were] poor." Captain (D) Fox, who replaced Carey in April, 1913 was more positive in his estimation of Campbell, deeming him a "good Destroyer comdr.."

Great War

On 16 August 1915, Campbell was mentioned in despatches for services in connection with the Gallipoli landing on 25/26 April during which he carried out minesweeping operations in a "satisfactory manner , frequently under heavy artillery fire."

In November, 1915 Vice-Admiral de Robeck noted Campbell as "[a]n officer of the Destroyer Flotilla especially recommended for good services performed." Campbell was promoted to the rank of Commander on 31 December, 1915.

On 14 March 1916, Campbell was awarded a D.S.O., which would be invested at Buckingham Palace on 10 February, 1917.

On 3 January, 1917, Campbell and Renard assisted S.S. Huntsend, which had been torpedoed by UB 47 near Crete. A Court of Enquiry "recorded high appreciation of the manner in which she was brought into port." He received 14 days in England from 30 January, 1917.

He continued to serve as captain of Renard as part of the Third Destroyer Flotilla until being superseded by Lewes George Gardner in July, 1917. On the 27th, Campbell was appointed to President for duty in the Anti-Submarine Division.

Influenza forced Campbell into hospital from 12 October, 1917 to 12 November, 1917. He was also hospitalised for some time in July of 1918, returning to duty on the 19th.

His work in the A.S.D. continued until he was appointed to flotilla leader Lightfoot in September, 1918, to take command upon her commissioning.

Interbellum

Campbell was appointed in command of the flotilla leader Parker and to oversee a group of destroyers in a Care & Maintenance Party on 24 August, 1920.

On 28 January, 1922, in an event redolent of Royal Navy missions of the Victorian Era, H.M.S. Cornflower captured a slave dhow, but Campbell caused some perplexity by asking his superiors for instructions in the middle of the affair, which seemed rather hesitant in spirit to the Admiralty. They opined, "Commander Campbell did not show much enterprise. No necessity to ask for instructions from C-in-C & Senior Officer Red Sea Patrol, after he had been fired on."

Campbell was placed on the Retired List on expiration of his foreign service upon his relief on 14 January, 1923.

Campbell was promoted to the rank of Captain on the Retired List on his forty-fifth birthday on 9 June, 1926.

World War II

In September 1939, Campbell was sent for service under N.C.S. Basra. In January 1940 he was appointed as S.D.O., Hong Kong (Senior Duty Officer?). On 26 March, this was altered to X.D.O.. This was an unfortunate posting as Campbell became a prisoner of war to the Japanese on 4 March, 1942.

He was repatriated after the war and reverted to the Retired List as medically unfit on 13 June, 1946 due to hypertension. He died in late 1951 of mutliple cerebral thrombosis.

See Also

• Service Records
• Wikipedia

Naval Appointments
Preceded by Reginald E. Marcon	Captain of H.M.S. Contest 18 Feb, 1908 – 8 Feb, 1909	Succeeded by Herbert G. Briggs
Preceded by New Command	Captain of H.M. T.B. 31 8 Feb, 1909 – 24 Feb, 1910	Succeeded by Robert G. Hamond
Preceded by Robert G. Hamond	Captain of H.M. T.B. 81 24 Feb, 1910 – 28 Jun, 1912	Succeeded by Stephen Phillimore
Preceded by George K. Chetwode	Captain of H.M.S. Renard 28 Jun, 1912 – Jul, 1917	Succeeded by Lewes G. Gardner
Preceded by Hugh J. Woodward	Captain of H.M.S. Lightfoot Sep, 1918 – Mar, 1919	Succeeded by Hugh T. Prichard
Preceded by Robert H. B. Hammond-Chambers	Captain of H.M.S. Botha 20 Mar, 1919 – 22 Oct, 1919	Succeeded by ?
Preceded by Claud F. Allsup	Captain of H.M.S. Parker 24 Aug, 1920 – 1 Feb, 1921	Succeeded by ?
Preceded by Vernon S. Rashleigh	Captain of H.M.S. Cornflower 1 Feb, 1921 – after Aug, 1922	Succeeded by Claude P. Hermon-Hodge
Preceded by Alban Knubley	Captain of H.M.S. Redgauntlet 21 Jun, 1921 – 24 Aug, 1920	Succeeded by Cyril Gore