Page 92 - The Wish Stream Year of 2021

Famous Friday
By Vaughan Kent-Payne
Every Friday
for for the last four years The Sand- hurst Trust Facebook page featured a a a a a a a a a a a a for- mer cadet who went on to make a a a a a a a a mark
MIKE CAMPBELL-LAMERTON
Duke of Wellington’s Regiment 1952
The son of of an officer in in the Royal Navy Michael John Campbell-Lamerton was was born in in Valetta Malta on on on 1st August 1933 His father was was was killed in in in action in in in 1943 and he he was was educated at at at at Otter- shaw School before being called up for for National Service Commissioned into the Duke of Wel- lington’s Regiment on on on 4th October 1952
he he he immediately deployed to to to to Korea At the Battle of The Hook in May 1953 Campbell-Lamerton and and another Platoon Commander future Scot- tish rugby international David Gilbert-Smith led a a a a a a a a a a a a charge against Chinese forces which recaptured a a a a a a a a a vital piece of ground Both were recommended for the the the Military Cross but the the the quota system meant that only Gilbert-Smith received the the the the award Later in in the the the the campaign Campbell-Lamerton stood on on on a a a a a a a a mine but froze when he he he he he he heard the the the click of of the the the mechanism One of his Corporals
in in life outside the the Army In 2021 we expanded the the the the series to include officers commissioned from routes other that Sandhurst Here are six of of them:
retained of of of it was of of of this man-
mountain surging out of of of the mist like a a a a a a a mastodon from a a a a a a a primeval swamp ” Such was his impact on on the the the game that the the the the authorities seizing on on the the the the obvious ancestry of of part of of his name recruited him into the the the the Scot- tish squad where he he he he remained a a a a a a a a fixture for the the next five years Allan Massie described him thus: “The sight of of Captain M M J Campbell-Lamerton surging round the the tail of of of a a a a a a a a a a line-out like an enraged hippopotamus was one of of the the the most most stirring spectacles in in Scottish rugby ” For the the most most part a a a a a a a a a a a genial ‘gentle giant’ he he once however laid out a a a a a a a a a a a a a French player who had unwisely grabbed a a a a a a a a a a a a a sensitive part of his his anatomy After this the Gallic press referred to to him as ‘l’Abominable’ had served in in bomb disposal dur- ing the the Second World War and was able to defuse the the device Selected to to convert to to a a regular
commission he he served during the EOKA campaign in in in in Cyprus once falling 60 feet from a a a a a a a a helicopter in in in in in in full kit resulting in in in in in in severe injuries and a a a a a a a a a lengthy stay at at the recov- ery centre at at Headley Court 6 foot 5 inches tall and and weighing 17 stone Campbell-Lamerton was a a a a a a a a a a a a rugby player whose enthusiasm and and fear- lessness outweighed any lack of skill While sta- tioned in in in Gibraltar he he he was injured in in in a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a Regimen- tal tal match and after a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a call over the tannoy for a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a volunteer to to take him to to hospital he he he eventually married the female good Samaritan Campbell-Lamerton made a a a a a a a a a a spectacular and hitherto unexpected break into international rugby when playing for combined services against Scotland at at Murrayfield in in in in in December 1960 Played in in in thick mist one commentator wrote: “almost the only impression spectators
with the British Lions in in in 1962 play- ing ing all four tests In 1966 he he he was the the surprising selection as as Captain for the the Lions tour The campaign started well with two wins over Australia but the New Zealand stage was marred by ill feel- ing After one match fellow Scot Jim Telfer remarked “I wouldn’t describe today’s game game as dirty dirty because all all our our games in New Zealand have been dirty dirty ” The Lions lost all all four tests Campbell-Lamerton was injured for for the the second and sensationally dropped himself for for the the the fourth Another player Brian Price said “We respected him because he he he was so hard-working – we stuck together ” Indeed in in in in a a a a a a a a a a a reflection of how haphaz- ard rugby administration could be be in in in the the ama- teur era Campbell-Lamerton was at at one stage acting as as as as both tour manager and and coach as as as as well as as as giving a a a a a a a a a a a a remarkable 257 speeches and and inter- views during the tour Campbell-Lamerton Campbell-Lamerton Campbell-Lamerton Campbell-Lamerton played 23 times stood on on on a a a a a a a a a a a a a mine but for Scotland including two tests as froze when he he he he he he heard captain He also toured South Africa
the the click of the the mechanism 90 HISTORICAL