William ‘Bill’ Campbell

Posted: May 11th, 2011

‘Bill’ Campbell, the Chief Engineer of the Daily Mirror for over twenty years has died of cancer aged 68. He was born in Manor Park, London and attended his local secondary school, the Cornwall (named after the youngest First World War recipient of the VC).

At the age of fifteen Bill went to Poplar technical college to study Marine Engineering. He succeeded in passing the higher national examinations and joined the Shell Oil Company – starting as a junior engineering officer and rising to the rank of chief engineer – staying with them for 9 years until 1960. In that year he joined the engineering team of British Nuclear Fuels-a shore based post-and met his future wife Carole, whom he married in September 1962.

They set up their first home in Wickford, Essex. Bill and Carole moved to Bookham over 40 years ago, first to Little Bookham and then to Great Bookham.

Bill joined the Daily Mirror at the Holborn office in June 1969. His talents improved his position to become Chief Engineer. He survived the Maxwell cull and in his latter years acted as consultant in projects modernising newsprint plants in Eastern Europe.

Bill Campbell retired in 1993. He was a popular boss, as demonstrated by the tremendous send off given by his colleagues – he kept a number of personal letters sent to him at that time.

He was a dignified man and the composure he showed at his final moments is an inspiration to us all. Bill was a great family man. Married to Carole for almost 44 years.

RW