DEEP DIVES: A SELECTION FROM THE ESTATE OF ALLAN J. CAMPBELL AM, OBE, OMRI (B.1904 - D.2001)
Sometimes at the Auction Barn we are presented with such a compelling collection of pieces from an estate that we’re forced to delve deeper. In this case, it was into the archives of the National Library, into the history of WWII in Brisbane, into esoteric knight orders and into the American Embassy in Tokyo following the Japanese surrender.
This is all found within the archives, papers, and objects belonging to Allan J. Campbell, and we’re bringing to you our research today in the final days of our Medals & Military auction, which features many pieces from his collection.
[TO RIGHT: A photograph of Campbell, taken from his personnel file in the National Archives (A9300/5380067)]
One of the most spectacular pieces in the collection, and our best starting point, is Lot 1, the grouping of his personal medals, which may be the only one of its kind in existence, containing not only a Member of the Order of Australia, an Order of the British Empire medal, and an Italian Order of Merit; but also accompanied by a fairly unusual Queen Elizabeth II coronation medal, one of only 11,561 awarded to Australians in 1953, and an assortment of medals reflecting his service in WWII. He was awarded an OBE, Civil Division, in 1966, with his AM awarded on the 6th of June 1978 ‘In recognition of service to the community’. The most elusive is the Italian Order of Merit, to which we have no documents or related information - just a reference in a National Archives file (A1838, file no. 3349210) which is yet to be digitized. His records are sparse - a few files here and there, with some interesting details, including a role in a ‘Administrative and Special Duties Branch’, his status as proprietor of Campbell Advertising. An unassuming but gentle looking fellow, he occasionally appeared in the newspaper related to articles on various advertising boards or announcements for the Trocadero Dansant, an art deco dance hall in Brisbane, of which he was the managing director.
His own papers tell us more: he was one of many people working in and around the Americans during the mid point of WWII, after Douglas MacArthur, General of the Army of the United States, fled the Philippines for Australia and established a new base of operations in Brisbane. Despite being in Australia, it wasn’t entirely peaceful - the ‘Battle of Brisbane’, a breakout riot between Australian and American forces in the heart of Brisbane city led Campbell to establish the ‘Australian American Association’, using his media and advertising skills to encourage harmony amongst what were supposed to be allied forces. At the Trocadero Dansant, he organized for it to become a mingling ground for soldiers - and Australian women - to meet and, in the words of Campbell himself, “the meetings resulted in many marriages then, and later in the War”.
Of course, these anecdotes only scratch the surface. His incredible assortment of Red Cross medals in lots 2, 9, 10, 13, and 19 are rarely seen at auction, as Campbell was the Honorary Publicity Officer for the Red Cross for an unknown number of years. The insignias and regalia of the Knights Hospitaller is equally as unusual on the market too, and we cannot forget the amazing assortment of photographs, books, and letters, including a signed photograph of MacArthur and Lt. Col. Richard Sutherland, his chief of staff, and another signed photograph with accompanying letters from Brigadier-General LeGrande ‘Pick’ Diller, MacArthur’s aide de camp.
His collection of ephemera is expansive, including newspaper clippings, photographs, letters and documents showcasing a fascinating insight into 1940s wartime Brisbane and the Australian soldiers - clad in khaki shorts and topless in the humid weather - compared to the comparatively overdressed Americans who have come to oversee the facilities. Whilst MacArthur only spent a few years in Brisbane, his influence was most certainly felt, including a visit to parliament in 1942 resulting in this curious photo of him, relaxed and casually dressed, in the House of Representatives with the then Prime Minister Curtin.
We would be remiss to not mention the photograph that Campbell obviously treasured, which is Lot 27, a photograph of MacArthur and Emperor Hirohito of Japan, stood together somewhat awkwardly when in the American Embassy in Tokyo in late September, 1948, a few weeks after the official surrender on the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. This photo captures a moment in history when Hirohito called in to see MacArthur, during which a 40 minute discussion occurred that still ignites debate to this day.
Opinions are divided about who ‘won’ their conversation and what was said - the only other person present was Hirohito’s interpreter, who reported that MacArthur was ‘a fawning courtier’ - but the subsequent photograph apparently caused an uproar amongst the Japanese public when it was published, for depicting him not as a Heavenly Emperor, but as a normal man, with MacArthur again looking a little stilted but still casual in comparison to the Emperor in full morning dress. It was a signal of a huge change in the status quo in a post-war world, and Campbell claimed his copy was signed by both MacArthur and Hirohito.
[TO LEFT: Campbell's photograph, with copies and other related ephemera, of MacArthur and Hirohito]
Campbell was proud of his association with MacArthur, and the role Australia played in WWII, and his passion led to him being one of the most staunch supporters of the MacArthur museum in Brisbane, which was finally established just after his death, and now occupies the rooms MacArthur himself occupied in Brisbane. One of the items in this auction, Lot 38, is a flag purported to have been flown outside this building during the war, and features the requisite 48 stars as it preceded Alaska and Hawaii becoming states in 1959 and 1960 respectively. The esteem in which Campbell kept these objects, his continued relationships with his colleagues including Diller well into the 80s, and his long list of positions over the course of his life are a testament to his sense of history, his community spirit, and his selflessness. His obituary in the Central Bureau Intelligence Corps Association newsletter hints at even more roles Allan took upon himself: Bolivian consul-general, member of the association of Clan Campbell (also mentioned in his letter to Pick, where he was headed to Inverary Castle in May 1977), and many other roles that remain unmentioned, perhaps due to their sensitive nature, or perhaps because Campbell was just a generous individual with his time, and there are too many positions to count.
The Auction Barn is proud to present this insight into Campbell’s life and work, and his collection of WWII memorabilia for auction. The auction, titled ‘Medals & War Memorabilia’, ends on Friday, the 30th of June, 2023, from 7PM.
Bibliography:
'US General Douglas MacArthur visiting Canberra', Photograph, Accession No. P02018.084, via the Australian War Memorial <https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C306043>
'Emperor Hirohito and General MacArthur meeting for the first time, 1945' (Blog Post) via. 'Rare Historical Photos' (Website), <https://rarehistoricalphotos.com/hirohito-macarthur-1945/>
"Commonwealth of Australia awards in full" (January 1st, 1966), The Canberra Times, pg. 11 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article105880518>
'Mr Allan James CAMPBELL, OBE' via the Australian Honours Search Facility, Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, <https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/873045>
Central Bureau Intelligence Corps Association Inc. Newsletter, March 1998, <https://www.ozatwar.com/sigint/1998_mar_cbic.pdf>
Central Bureau Intelligence Corps Association Inc. Newsletter, March 2002, <https://www.ozatwar.com/sigint/2002_mar_cbic.pdf>
The following National Archives files:
[Digitised]
Record of Service c.1941 (J176/9092353)
CAMPBELL, ALLAN JAMES: Service Number 277441 (A9300/5380067)
[Not Digitised]
Consular representatives in Australia – Bolivia – Campbell, Allan James; c.1965 – 1984 (A1838/3341499)
Awards and Decorations – Italian – Campbell, Allan James (A1838/3349210)