Polytechnic School Cadet Corps

[Silver Tourist]

Good evening.

I`m sure all members will be familiar with this Great War unit.

However, can one of our particularly brilliant investigative members identify a member of that Corps with a name of " E Campling" ?

I am reasonably certain that the spelling and surname initial are correct, but of course am willing to consider alternatives.

I have an example of their badge with this name inscribed on the slider and would be keen to learn something of the owner. Does he appear anywhere in Soldiers Killed in the Great War? Or, in a Register of London soldiers of which I am presently unaware? I have yet to check the CWGC listings. For another example see: http://www.buywyze.com/shop.php?c=10 .

With thanks in anticipation.

Enjoy.

S. T.

[Eddie Parks]

I've never heard of this unit. Seems pretty obscure to me.

There are two E Camplings on the CWGC register, one Kings Own and one Northamptons. Took about one minute to find them - less than it took to write the original post.

Eddie

[Alan O]

This was a UK only unit so he may never have enlisted in the Army proper and therefore may not served overseas. I can't remember whether it was school cadets or a VTC unit drawn from ex-cadets. Either way he may be hard to find.

[Peter Brydon]

The Polytechnic Schools Cadet Corps is listed in Westlakes " A Register of Territorial Force Cadet Units 1910-1922". ( affilitated to 12th Bn London Regt )

As a cadet corps there would not have been a published list of the members although there may be a list in the Corps records if they have survived.

As Alan has said, it may well be that a cadet might have been too young even in 1918 to have joined the army and it may be impossible to find him in military records.

Might be possible to find him in the Census Records if anyone has access to them, the owner of the badge presumably lived close fairly to Tottenham Court Road.

P.B.

[Peter Brydon]

148 Results for the name " Campling "in the 1911 Census and a lot are living in London.
I am unable to go futher without paying for more detailed searches.

P.B.

[Neil Pearce]

DNW sold some medals about 18 months ago ago to an E Campling:

http://content.yudu.com/Library/A1p0...ources/327.htm

Another reference here:

http://www.ww2awards.com/person/44649

I see he graduated from a school a mile away from Tottenham Court Road.

The wrong man obviously, but his father? He was a writer, as detailed in the links above. Frank Knowles Campling (Eric Wood)

Perhaps another dead end, but stranger things have happened....

Cheers, Neil

[Peter Brydon]

Neil,

Unfortunatley I only have a limited number of copies of Army Lists, my November 1932 List shows the Polytechnic Schools Cadet Corps as still being affilited to the 12 London Regiment ( Rangers ) so we are potentially looking at a time period for ST`s slider named badge that could be well after WW1 and I suppose it is possible that the E Campling in your post might be the same person who put his name on the badge slider.

Does any member know when the Polytechnic Schools Cadet Corps ceased to exist ?

Peter

[Neil Pearce]

Hi PB

You could be right. I had incorrectly assumed from your previous post they ceased in 1922, when you referred to Westlake.

If you search the school it was only named as quoted in the biography information above until 1919. Even so, the CC must have continued?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quintin_Kynaston_School

May be a wild goose chase, but a lot of coincidences? The name is not common
Regards, Neil

[Peter Brydon]

Sorry Neil,

The dates 1910-1922 are part of the title of Ray Westlakes book and obviously the Cadet Corps continued at least 10 years after 1922.

I had hoped there might have been some history of the Cadet Corps in the link to the school which you provided but this seems to be the only mention:

The outbreak of the First World War tended to turn the Polytechnic into a vast recruiting depot and the School into something like a species of young soldiers' battalion. Almost every boy became a cadet, and drilling, marching and manoeuvring became the major feature of the curriculum. Most members of the staff became officers in the Cadet Corps, following the lead of Sir Kynaston Studd who became Honorary Colonel Commandant of all the London school cadet corps. Boys marched off most afternoons to Regents Park, preceded by a band, led by Mr. Paffard. In the lunch hour, from a platform erected in the middle of Regent Street, patriotic songs were sung to stimulate the recruiting campaign. It does not seem that evacuation from 1939 to 1945 had anything like the disruptive effect on the curriculum that staying in Regent Street had between 1914 and 1918. As G. E. Dench put it in some rather acid recollections published in the Quintinian on the occasion of Mr. Abbott's retirement in 1934: -

"Extraordinary amateurs on the teaching staff filled the places of the good men at the front. Every boy was a cadet, and the drills made sad havoc with the lessons."

He clearly regarded the war years as constituting "the most difficult period" in the school's history up to 1919."[/I]


I cannot help but agree with you ,if there are two E Camplings that is an incredible coincidence.

Peter

[Neil Pearce]

HI Peter.

I see the RAF E Campling was killed in 1944 at the age of 23, so born in 1921.

Perhaps the school have records ST? I am sure they would have recognised this illustrious chap, or perhaps his father?
Cheers, Neil

[Peter Brydon]

I am completely fascinated by what you can discover on the internet.

The Polytechnic Schools Cadet Corps apprears to have continued throughout WW2 as part of the 6th Cadet Battalion KRRC.

The following are extracts from war time copies of the school magazine:



CADET NOTES.
6TH CADET BTTN. KING'S ROYAL RIFLE CORPS
(POLYTECHNIC).
"BUSINESS as usual in temporary premises." This has been our motto since we exchanged Regent Street for Ponsford Road. We were rather late starting, as it was felt that the School should get properly settled down here before "outside" activities began. Since we got going we have gone ahead steadily, and the present No. 1 Platoon is as smart as any Platoon the Corps has had for many years.
Credit for this belongs largely to Branscombe (C.Q.M.S.), whose unfortunate illness we all regret, and Speaight (Sgt.); Hirst, our R.S.M., has been busy with lessons on most midweek parade dates. Through the kindness of Lt.-Col. Lyon, of the Somerset T.A. Association, we have had the use of the Minehead H.Q. of A Coy., 5th Batt. Somerset Light Infantry. Here we were able to do our elementary drill in the new "3" formation under cover, before appearing in public in the School playground and on the sands, which are ideal for work on a larger scale.
The Junior Platoon (No. 2). under Sgt. Shuttleworth, though not so far advanced as the seniors, is making steady progress, and I hear good reports from Winscombe of the Crafts Schools Platoon (No. 3), under Lt. Butland. The country here is ideal for field operations, and I hope during the late spring and summer to be able to arrange some pleasant and useful outings.
I am trying to collect a register of all past member of the Corps who are serving in any branch of H.M. Forces, and should be glad to hear of any, if there are those who can give me their names.

G.C.L.

It is with deep regret that we have to record the death of more Old Quintinians:-

D. B. BLACKBURN was killed in a car accident, at Hendon, near the end of April.

E. F. K. CAMPLING (1939), Wing Commander, killed in air operations.

P. E. KING (1939), who was reported missing in our last number, after a Mediterranean sortie, is now posted "Missing, presumed killed."

R. HENLEY, who was Lieutenant and Adjutant to Durham Light Infantry, is posted "Missing, presumed killed." after the battle E1 Alamein.

P.B.

[Eddie Parks]

There is only one E Campling shown in the 1911 cencus of teh right age to be a cadet in WW1.

Edward Campling born 1898 in Bethnall Green and living at 44 Lamprell St, son of Edward a gas fill ball maker (tennis ball maker?).

Eddie

[conijoni]

I don't know if this information will be of any use but here goes. From the 1922 Cadet List...Polytechnic Schools Cadet Corps, 6 companies, HQ - The Polytechnic, 309 Regent Street, date of recognition - 18th December 1914, strength - 8 officers, 6 sergeants, 170 other ranks.

[Silver Tourist]

Good evening.

First, may I express my thanks and appreciation to those members who have contributed so generously in response to my original enquiry.

Second, I am left with two questions (I think): when was the badge in question worn; &, was it worn by 6th Cadet Bn. KRRC(Polytechnic).

My example has a reasonable provenance, being part of the JJ Slaughter Collection, dispersed by Bonhams, Oxford.

Again, I would appreciate any further thoughts from Members on this line of enquiry.

S.T.

[Alicat]

I've just noticed the original post on here so realise it was posted a little while ago but thought I'd pass on what I know.

Eric Frank Knowles Campling is a relative of mine and he was born in 1920 in Surrey. He died at the age of 23 after crashing in his Lancaster (R5672) on 08/04/1943. At the time of his death, he was Wing Commander and had been awarded the DSO & DFC.

He took part in the Channel Dash and the remains of his Wellington are now in Brooklands Museum. His medals were all sold in 2010 but the auction house very kindly sent me copies of his war record, citations, photographs etc. His twin sister is still living in London.

If I can be of any further help, please ask & I'll tell you what I can.