Hastie, Campbell

Campbell Bannerman Hastie was born on 15^th June 1922 at 76 Port Dundas Road:

This was extremely difficult to find on a map, but eventually this 1929 fire insurance map showed it as a small property, seemingly a part of a factory. Buchanan Street Railway Station would have been immediately to the south of this, so Campbell must have been born into some environment with the smell of the stables, the noise and exhaust fumes from the motor vans, the smoke from the steam engines, the noise from the bottling stores, etc.

I have several old photos of Port Dundas Road but by good luck there s one with the name Glasgow Hiring Co (the business behind number 76):

The machine in the street is a tar boiler and I believe the men might be repairing cobbles – bit the houses just visible on the right hand side seem to match number 76 where Campbell was born.

This is approximately the street position today:

The view is north up towards the M8; the Passport Office is round the corner on the right, after the parked white car. Cowcaddens and Port Dundas were flattened in the late 1960s and 1970s.

Campell’s father was James Barrie Hastie, who married Thomasina Haldane Allison in 1919. I believe Campell had two brothers, (Isaac) Barrie, born 1925, and John, and one sister, Sheila born 1931.

James gave his occupation on Cambell’s birth record as a Casting Contractor., or at least that’s what it looks like:

I am grateful to Paul Vevarka of the Blantyre Project website (link) for sharing his knowledge. He told me, “A casting contractor was someone responsible for organising and supervising the removal of peat, soil, or turf — the process known as “casting” — a term unique to Scotland, and the task particularly for fuel or agricultural purposes. Individuals and communities often did this themselves, but on larger estates or in situations requiring mass labour (like supplying towns, estates, castles, or military buildings), landowners or officials would hire a casting contractor to oversee the work.”

Despite the evidence of my eyes, I have to believe it says “Carting Contractor”. I have three reasons for thinking this. First, in 1935 James gave his occupation as “Haulage Contractor” which obviously fits better with “Carting”. Second, as we will see below, in 20 years, James’s earnings took the family from Port Dundas Road to a newly-built detached bungalow in the leafy suburb of Bearsden – surely a casting contractor was not so well paid? Thirdly, what would a casting contractor be doing living in Cowcaddens and where would the son of a customs and excise official acquire the necessary skills?

And yet, in the Kirkintilloch Herald of 21^st June 1933 in a description of the prizes awarded at the Kirkintilloch District Agricultural Society Annual Show I saw this:

Is this Campbell, aged 11? There were no other boys born with this name between 1915 and 1923 so I think it must be. And here is where it all took place, in Oxgang Filed:

Today the suburbs of eastern Kirkintilloch cover the fields.

We do know that Campbell attended Allan Glen’s School – the original school opened in 1853 the founder’s will endowing a school “to give a good practical education and preparation for trades or businesses, to between forty to fifty boys, the sons of tradesmen or persons in the industrial classes of society”.

In Campbell’s time I believe it was located at 185 St James’s Road in Townhead. I’m also indebted to Kevin Scallon for providing this photo:

So in the rugby team, Campbell is the right of the captain, the boy with the rugby ball in the front row. From his build I would judge he was in the three-quarters (the fast runners, not in the scrum). I think most children left school aged 14 at this time so I tentatively data the photo to 1936 or 1937.

The family appear to have kept on the move around Glasgow – in 1925 they were in Dennistoun (309 Craigpark Drive), in 1930 on Great Western Road (number 122), in 1935 in Cathcart (8 Deanwood Avenue) and in 1940 at 33 Stirling Drive, Bearsden:

What a contrast to 76 Port Dundas Road! I strongly suspect it would have been newly built when the Hastie’s moved in.

Campbell would have been 18 in 1940 so probably joined up then or soon after. He would have had a job after leaving school but we don’t know what that was. I have requested his army record and that may help. We do know that in 1944 he was a driver in the 11^th Royal Tank Regiment. Formed in 1941 it was equipped and trained for a special role, with searchlights mounted on the tanks to support a night-time attack and pinpoint (and blind) enemy positions.

They were sent to the Mediterranean area (fighting in North Africa and Italy) but were not used so returned to the UK in April 1944.

They were based at Lowther Park, just off the M6 in the Lake District:

In mid-June they moved to Pembrokeshire in south-west Wales and in early August to Gosport to be shipped to France, which happened on 12^th August 1944 where they camped at Montilly, near Caen in Normandy.

At the end of September, 11^th RTR moved to Belgium and, having had the specialist searchlight role for three years, were retrained to use the Buffalo amphibious armoured carrier:

The Allies had captured Antwerp, a major port in early September 1944 but the waterway to get to it was partly held by the Germans so ships could have been shelled as they sailed by. Both banks had to be firmly held before Antwerp could be used and the preferred method was by a series of amphibious landings by British and canadian troops. On 26^th to 30^th October 11^th RTR took part in Operation Vitality, and then on 1^st November 1944 in Operation Infatuate, the landing of Allied troops on Walcheren island:

Campbell was co-driver in a Buffalo with Don Scallon and their position can be best seen in this photo (not of their vehicle) with the driver highlighted by the red circle:

The story of what happened next is told by Kevin Scallon, Don’s son:

“My Dad said, they would often sit alternately in either seat of the vehicle. On the day Campbell was killed in action, 1st Nov 1944, they were part of a planned military operation called ‘Operation Infatuate’, part of the Battle of the Scheldt. They were part of a formation of Buffaloes landing on the Walcheren Island. They were carrying Canadian Commandos under heavy enemy fire.

My Dad said, his tank was hit by a shell or a mine, as they reached the beach, the blast was close to the side where Campbell was driving (on that day). The Commandoes and other crew were blown clear of the vehicle when it was hit.

My Dad tried to get Campbell out of his driving compartment, but he was clearly badly wounded, unconscious or probably already dead. Unfortunately, the vehicle caught fire and my Dad was unable to get Campbell body free in time, by himself. My Dad then watched helplessly and in horror as the vehicle was quickly engulfed in flames.

My Dad was badly affected by this incident, not least when he realized it could have easily been him who died that day. My Dad always made sure that me and my siblings always remembered Campbell’s death. I feel my Dad especially lived his life to the full in honour of Campbell’s memory. As I was growing up with this precious family story, the song, ‘A Scottish Soldier (Green Hills of Tyrol)’, Song by Andy Stewart was very poignant song for my Dad and our family whenever we heard it on the radio/TV.”

This seems a good match to an incident held in the 11^th RTR history held by Bovington Tamp Museum (thanks to David Ryan for alerting me to this): In Capt. Knight’s troop one Buffalo received a direct hit and at one blew up, setting alight two others as they were still on the LCT [Landing Craft Tank}]. Only quick and energetic action by Captain Knight, in which he was gallantly assisted by L/Sgt Malcolm and Tpr Stack, confined the damage to these three, and casualties were thus reduced.”

This is a photo Kevin supplied of his dad, Don (centre) and Campbell on the right:

In 11 RTR Troopers Joseph Grice from Ealing and William McKenzie from Edinburgh also died that day, although whether it was in this incident or another one is unclear.

Campbell was originally buried at Zoutelande, Walcheren, but is now buried at the CWGC Cemetery in Bergen-op-Zoom. He was originally buried as an Unknown British Solider: