Campbell, Simon Alexander

Simon Alexander Campbell was born in Brooklyn, Prince Edward Island on 17 December 1890, the son of Murdoch Campbell and Christine Campbell. In 1910/11 he traveled west on the Harvest Excursion and following the outbreak of World War I, enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force on 28 November 1914. Following training in Lethbridge, Alberta, the soldiers traveled by train to Montreal where they embarked for England for further training at Shorncliffe and Otterpool. Campbell served in France with the 22nd Battery, Canadian Field Artillery from January 1916 until the end of the war. He received several promotions including Bombardier, Sergeant in the Field, and Acting Corporal. He was wounded in September of 1916 and in 1920 was awarded the Military Medal for "gallantry and distinguished service". Following his discharge in May 1919, he returned to Canada, intending to return to Calgary. However, he stopped off to visit his family in Prince Edward Island and never left, taking over the family farm where he remained for the next 47 years. He married Ruth Mellish and raised four children, two girls and two boys. He died on 26 March 1967.