Lieutenant-Colonel P.U. Campbell
2nd Battalion, Glasgow Highlanders

He has at all times been an inspiration to the unit which he has now commanded for twenty months, and it has been due to his drive and persistence, at no small cost to himself, that the success of the Second Glasgow Highlanders has been such a notable one.

(D.S.O. citation, 29 Mar 1945)

Born on 7 September 1905 in British India, Patrick Usmar Campbell was commissioned with the Highland Light Infantry in 1925. He was attached to the King’s African Rifles from 1928 to 1931, served as staff captain in Egypt in 1936 and was promoted to captain in 1938. By 1940, he had risen to acting major and by early 1943, he had been appointed commanding officer of the 2nd Battalion, Glasgow Highlanders. As part of the 46th (Highland) Infantry Brigade in the 15th Scottish Division, the battalion deployed to Normandy on 13 June 1944.

Campbell led the unit from the breakout in August through to the liberation of Belgium, earning the D.S.O.: “During these engagements the casualties were heavy, but laregly due to Lieutenant-Colonel’s Campbell’s untiredly efforts and the complete control which he exercised no matter how heavy and violent were the reactions of the enemy, the battalion achieved success.” The relentless action, heavy casualties and exhaustion, however, wore down Campbell’s health.

On 17-19 October, the unit war diary recorded, “C.O. spoke to Bn and mentioned his request to relinquish command owing to nervous strain.” Days later Campbell was replaced by Major J.C. Davies until the arrival of Lieutenant-Colonel H.C. Baker-Baker of the 1st Black Watch at the end of the month.

Campbell remained in the postwar army and served in South East Asia in the later 1940s. He retired from the army in February 1952 and became Military Knight of Windsor in 1967.