William Pitcairn Campbell

Pitcairn Campbell was the son of James Pitcairn Campbell and his wife, Eleanor (née Eyre), of Burton Hall, Neston. He had two elder sisters, Eliza and Georgina. He was educated at Windlesham House School, Eton College and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.{{Cite book|title=Muster Roll. Windlesham House, Brighton. A.D. 1837 to 1902|last=Malden|first=Henry C.|publisher=H. & C. Treacher|year=1902|edition=2nd|location=Brighton}}{{Cite news|title=Sir W.P. Campbell: Death of Former G.O.C., Western Command|date=23 September 1933|work=Western Morning News}}

Pitcairn Campbell was commissioned into the King's Royal Rifle Corps in 1875.{{cite web|url=http://www.kcl.ac.uk/lhcma/locreg/CAMPBELL19.shtml |title=Sir William Pitcairn Campbell|publisher= Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives}} He served with the Mounted Infantry Camel Corps in Sudan between 1884 and 1885.{{Cite news|title=Death of Sir Wm. Pitcairn Campbell|date=30 September 1933|work=Cheshire Observer}} His battalion served in South Africa from 1899 to 1901 during the Second Boer War. At the Battle of Talana Hill he was wounded and his commanding officer was killed. As second in command, he took command of his battalion and was part of the garrison besieged at Ladysmith. He was subsequently promoted to lieutenant colonel in command of the 1st Battalion on 25 January 1900.{{London Gazette |issue=27160 |date=2 February 1900 |page=694 }}

Pitcairn Campbell was aide-de-camp to King Edward VII from 1900 to 1907 and was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in the King's Birthday Honours of June 1906.{{London Gazette|issue=27926|page=4460|date=26 June 1906|supp=y}}{{Cite web|url=http://lafayette.org.uk/cam8681.html|title=Lieutenant-General Sir William Pitcairn Campbell (1856–1933).|website=lafayette.org.uk|access-date=19 January 2019}} He was placed on half-pay upon relinquishing command of the battalion in January 1904.{{London Gazette|issue=27639|page=546|date=26 January 1904|supp=y}} Upon returning to normal pay, he succeeded Major General Bruce Hamilton as commander of the 3rd Brigade, part of the 3rd Division of the 1st Army Corps, in May, for which he became a substantive colonel and temporary brigadier general while employed in this role.{{London Gazette|issue=27676|page=3083|date=13 May 1904}} After being promoted to major general in October 1907,{{London Gazette|issue=28072|page=7126|date=25 October 1907}} he became general officer commanding 5th Division in 1909.

Promoted to lieutenant general in October 1913,{{London Gazette|issue=28762|page=6984|date=7 October 1913}} he moved on to be General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Southern Command from 1914 and General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Western Command from 1916; he retired in 1918.

Pitcairn Campbell was knighted in 1915 on promotion to Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath.{{Cite news|title=The King's Birthday. List of Honours.|date=29 June 1906|work=The Globe}} In 1916, he was appointed colonel of the Highland Light Infantry, succeeding General Sir Henry Hildyard.[http://www.britisharmedforces.org/li_pages/regiments/hlli/high_colonels.htm The Highland Light Infantry: Succession of Colonels 1777–1957]{{Dead link|date=January 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} at britisharmedforces.org[http://www.lightinfantry.org.uk/regiments/hlli/high_colonels.htm Light Infantry Regiments]

In 1888 a fellow infantry officer, Major Gilbert, who had been serving in India, named Pitcairn Campbell as co-respondent in the divorce case against his wife. The following year, he and Edith Gilbert (née Prothero) married and went on to have one daughter.{{Cite book|title=England & Wales, Civil Divorce Records, 1858–1916|publisher=The National Archives of the UK|year=1916|location=Kew, Surrey}}

{{reflist}}

{{s-start}}

{{S-mil}}

{{s-bef|before=Herbert Plumer}}

{{s-ttl|title=General Officer Commanding 5th Division|years=1909–1913}}

{{s-aft|after=Sir Charles Fergusson}}

|-

{{s-bef|before=Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien}}

{{s-ttl|title=GOC-in-C Southern Command|years=1914–1916}}

{{s-aft|after=Sir Henry Sclater}}

|-

{{s-bef|before=Sir Henry Mackinnon}}

{{s-ttl|title=GOC-in-C Western Command|years=1916–1918}}

{{s-aft|after=Sir Thomas Snow}}

{{end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Campbell, William}}

Category:1856 births

Category:1933 deaths

Category:British Army lieutenant generals

Category:Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath

Category:British Army generals of World War I

Category:King's Royal Rifle Corps officers

Category:British Army personnel of the Mahdist War

Category:British Army personnel of the Second Boer War

Category:People educated at Windlesham House School

Category:Military personnel from Cheshire