South of Bergen and North of Stavanger in Norway lies the cemetery of Haugesund (Rossebo) Var Frelsers in which lies the war grave of Sergeant David Ferguson Sharpe Campbell.
Campbell, 74301, RAFVR was the observer on a Bristol Blenheim Mk IV, N3604, (QY-R), a twin-engined light bomber from RAF 254 Squadron on 25 June 1940. All three on board were killed, the pilot was Flight Sergeant Percival Gordon Cory, 564105, RAF, age 26, and wireless operator/air gunner Sergeant Francis George Kinhan, 535306, RAF, age 23.
They took off at 12.48 hours from RAF Sumburgh in the Shetland Islands on a mission to attack targets of opportunity. Whilst attacking a ship off Stavanger at 14.25 hours, they were shot down by Oberfeldwebel Hans-Jakob Arnoldy from the Luftwaffe 77 Jagdgeschwader, (II/JG77) flying a Messerschmitt Bf 109. The Blenheim crashed near Osthuvik, Rennesoy in Norway.
Campbell was the son of Andrew and Catherine Campbell from 52 Queen Street, Craigie, Perth. To his friends he was known as Fergus Campbell and joined the RAFVR in February 1938. He had the distinction of being the first to pass his test as an air observer at Perth Aerodrome. He was formerly employed in the foreign department of the General Accident Fire and Life Assurance Corporation in Perth. Six months after his death, his mother told the Perthshire Advertiser that she steadfastly refuses to abandon hope that her son is still alive.
Oberfeldwebel Anrnoldy was later killed on 15 April 1941 in Greece after an emergency landing in a Greek controlled area near Larissa. He is buried at the Kriegsgräberstätte of Dionyssos-Rapendoza (Greece). There is some controversy as to his fate. A report states that he engaged RAF 33 Squadron Hurricanes as they were taking off from an airfield at Larissa. He was wounded in the chest by fire from the Canadian ace, Flight Lieutenant John McKie. He bailed out and as he came down by parachute, he was fired on by Greek soldiers. His aircraft, Messerschmitt Bf 109 E (W.Nr. 5277) ‘White 5’ made an almost perfect belly landing and was virtually undamaged, except for two bullet holes in the cockpit hood, in line with the pilot’s chest. However, a picture taken of his aircraft later, showed that the cockpit canopy had been opened in the normal fashion, not blown off by explosive bolts he would have fired before bailing out.
Earlier in the war, JG 77 took part in the invasions of Poland and Norway.
AIRCRAFT OF THE ROYAL AIR FORCE 1939-1945: BRISTOL TYPE TYPE 149 BLENHEIM IV. (CH 2992) Six Blenheim Mark IVFs of No. 254 Squadron RAF, flying in formation over Northern Ireland shortly after the unit?s arrival at Aldergrove, County Antrim. Copyright: © IWM. Original Source: http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205126901
AIRCRAFT OF THE ROYAL AIR FORCE, 1939-1945: BRISTOL TYPE TYPE 149 BLENHEIM IV. (CH 2898) A Bristol Blenheim Mk IVF of No. 254 Squadron RAF based at Aldergrove, County Antrim, in flight. Note the gun pack containing four forward-firing .303 Browning machine guns, mounted under the fuselage. Seven fighter-reconnaissance squadrons of Coastal Command operated this version for shipping protection duties. Copyright: © IWM. Original Source: http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205126898
