Charles and Rose Campbell

Seaview Cemetery Block 10, Plot 199 & 200

Charles Cameron Campbell was born 9 April 1893 at Blue Spur, Gabriels Gully, Lawrence, Central Otago. He married Rose Agnes Fisher and died 24 December 1945. He had three years of schooling and at the age of 12 left school for work. He was a painter before he enlisted for service in World War I - N Z Army Service number 6/2567 .

The grave of Charles and Rose Campbell. Seaview Cemetery

Charles had a pretty tough war. He spent 95 days at Gallipoli, 1915-1916 and had several bouts of sickness while in the UK and Western Europe. He was promoted to Corporal in France, admitted six times to hospital with an unknown illness, then had a gunshot wound in the thigh 6 October 1918 while on the Western Front and was involved in the push against the Hindenburg Line in France July 1918. His leg was amputated in London and he was still in hospital at  Walton on Thames 11 January 1919. He returned to New Zealand with an artificial limb on the Arawa 18 November 1919. His military record states he served four years and 97 days.

After his return to New Zealand, Charles was discharged in Wellington, 16 December 1919,  being no longer physically fit  for war service because of wounds received in action. By this stage his parents were living in Tākaka. After the war Charles was a motor car trimmer, or painter.

Rose Agnes Fisher was born in Collingwood in 1900 to John Fisher a farmer and mother Delilah Eleanor. Rose was aged 21 when she married Charles in 1921, working as a domestic. Rose had one sister, Dulcie May, who married David Raukawa Paaka [a well-known Māori family from Motueka] with whom she had many children. Dulcie, and a son  aged 22 who was killed in a motorbike accident, are buried opposite the site occupied by Rose, in Block 11 plot 209.

Charles and his wife Rose lived at 44 Tāhunanui Drive until his death in 1945. Rose remained in the house until she died on 29 December 1983. They had no children.

2017 (updated 2021)

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