During World War I, a British officer named Captain Robert Campbell found himself in a unique and challenging situation. The war, which lasted from 1914 to 1918, was marked by intense trench warfare and resulted in millions of casualties. Both sides captured many prisoners of war, including Captain Campbell, who was taken by German forces in northern France.
Captain Robert Campbell was part of the British First Battalion, I.S.U.R.I. Regiment. In August 1914, during fierce battles, he was captured by the Germans and sent to a prisoner of war camp in Magdeburg, Germany. Despite being wounded, he recovered in a German military hospital before his transfer to the camp.
In late 1916, Captain Campbell received heartbreaking news: his mother in England was dying of cancer. Desperate to see her, he wrote to the German leader, Kaiser Wilhelm II, asking for permission to visit her. Surprisingly, the Kaiser agreed, allowing Campbell to travel home on the condition that he promised to return to the camp afterward.
Captain Campbell kept his word. He traveled through the Netherlands to England, spent a week with his mother in Gravesend, Kent, and then returned to Germany. His mother passed away a few months later in February 1917.
Captain Campbell explained that he returned because he felt it was his duty as an officer and a gentleman to keep his promise. He also believed that breaking his word might prevent other prisoners from receiving similar permissions in the future. Unfortunately, the Germans did not allow such requests again, likely because the Allies refused a similar request from a German prisoner.
Despite his honorable return, Captain Campbell felt it was his duty to try to escape. Along with other officers, he spent nine months digging a secret tunnel under the camp’s fence. They managed to escape but were caught near the Dutch border. Campbell remained a prisoner until the war ended in November 1918.
After the war, Captain Campbell returned to his regiment and continued his military career until he retired in 1925. However, when World War II began in 1939, he re-enlisted at the age of 54. He served as the chief observer of the Royal Observer Corps on the Isle of Wight. After the war, he retired and lived on the island until he passed away in July 1966 at the age of 81.
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Imagine you are Captain Robert Campbell. Prepare a short speech explaining your decision to return to the German prison after visiting your mother. Consider the values of honor and duty. Then, participate in a debate with classmates who will argue different perspectives on whether you should have returned or not.
Create a timeline of Captain Campbell’s experiences during World War I. Include key events such as his capture, his request to visit his mother, his return to the prison, and his escape attempt. Use images and brief descriptions to make your timeline visually engaging.
Write a letter as Captain Campbell to Kaiser Wilhelm II, either thanking him for allowing the visit or explaining why you felt it was important to return. Focus on expressing emotions and the sense of duty that influenced your actions.
Work in groups to analyze Captain Campbell’s escape attempt. Discuss what strategies might have been used and what challenges they faced. Then, design your own escape plan considering the historical context and limitations of the time.
Play the online game “Supremacy 1914” to gain a deeper understanding of World War I strategies. Reflect on how the decisions you make in the game relate to the real-life decisions faced by leaders and soldiers during the war. Share your experiences and strategies with the class.
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The British POW who returned to a German prison during World War I was part of a conflict that resulted in millions of casualties, primarily due to brutal trench warfare, lasting for four agonizing years. Both sides took around 10 million civilian and military prisoners of war. For instance, the Battle of Tannenberg in August 1914 between the German and Russian armies led to a significant defeat for the Russians, resulting in the near-total destruction of the Russian Second Army and the capture of 92,000 Russian soldiers.
At the same time, 29-year-old Captain Robert Campbell of the British First Battalion, I.S.U.R.I. Regiment, was captured in northern France during intense fighting as the British Expeditionary Force retreated under heavy attack from German forces. He was badly wounded and taken to a German military hospital. A few months later, after recovering, he was sent to the Magdeburg prisoner of war camp in northeast Germany.
In late 1916, Captain Campbell learned that his mother back in England was dying of cancer. In a desperate attempt to return home, he wrote to German Kaiser Wilhelm II, requesting permission to visit his terminally ill mother. To his surprise, the Kaiser granted him permission on the condition that he promised to return after the visit. It is believed he traveled back to England by train and boat through the Netherlands, staying with his mother for a week in Gravesend, Kent, before returning to the camp in Germany. His mother passed away a few months later in February 1917.
Captain Campbell later explained that he returned to the prisoner of war camp because he felt honor-bound to keep his word as an officer and gentleman. He was also concerned that if he did not fulfill his promise, the Germans would never consider similar requests from other prisoners in the future. Following this, the German military never allowed such requests again, likely due to the Allies turning down a similar request from a German prisoner.
Captain Campbell also felt it was his duty to attempt an escape. Upon returning to the camp, he and a group of other officers spent nine months digging a secret tunnel under the perimeter fence. They managed to escape and made it as far as the Dutch border before being recaptured. Captain Campbell remained a prisoner of war until the end of the conflict in November 1918, after which he returned to his regiment. He had joined the British Army in 1903 at the age of 18 and retired from military service in 1925. However, when war broke out again in 1939, Campbell was one of the first to re-enlist at the age of 54. He served as the chief observer of the Royal Observer Corps on the Isle of Wight during the war. After the war, he retired and continued to live on the island, where he passed away in July 1966 at the age of 81. Remarkably, his actual combat career was quite short, as he was captured on August 24, 1914, just 20 days after Britain entered the war on August 4.
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World War – A large-scale war involving many countries across the world, particularly referring to World War I and World War II. – World War II was a global conflict that lasted from 1939 to 1945 and involved most of the world’s nations.
Prisoner – A person who is captured and held by an enemy during war. – During the war, many soldiers were taken as prisoners and held in camps until the conflict ended.
Camp – A place where people, such as soldiers or prisoners, are temporarily housed. – The soldiers set up a camp near the river to rest before continuing their march.
Germany – A country in Central Europe that played a significant role in both World War I and World War II. – Germany was one of the central powers in World War I and later led the Axis powers in World War II.
Duty – A moral or legal obligation; a responsibility. – It was the duty of every citizen to support the war effort by conserving resources and volunteering.
Escape – To break free from confinement or control. – Several prisoners of war planned a daring escape from the camp using a secret tunnel.
Officer – A person holding a position of authority in the military. – The officer gave the troops their orders for the upcoming battle.
Promise – A declaration or assurance that one will do something or that a particular thing will happen. – The leaders made a promise to work towards peace after the war ended.
History – The study of past events, particularly in human affairs. – Learning about history helps us understand how past events have shaped the present world.
Trench – A long, narrow ditch used in warfare, especially during World War I, for protection from enemy fire. – Soldiers spent weeks in the trenches, enduring harsh conditions and constant danger.
