OBITUARY: George Alick Campbell, Kinlochbervie
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The man who drove the local ambulance hundreds of thousands of miles, from Sutherland’s far north-west to Inverness and points elsewhere for over 30 years, has died in care after a long spell of ill-health, less than a month from his 89th birthday.
On occasion, George Alick Campbell had been known to make the long trip to and from Raigmore Hospital with urgent cases twice in one day, often without help and no rest.
George Alick – always known by both forenames – was born at Oldshoremore, Kinlochbervie, the only child of Annie and gamekeeper Donald Campbell, in June 1934.
Educated locally, he began work in his home community with Pulford Estates, the business arm of wealthy Westminster Estates, owned by the Dukes of Westminster.
Called up for National Service at age 18, he served mostly in Germany with the Royal Army Service Corps as a heavy transport driver, where he displayed the sense of duty and reliability that would be the hallmark of his entire working life.
Promoted corporal by the end of his compulsory service, he was offered further promotion to sergeant, if only he would only sign on for a period of regular service.
However, he decided to return home, where he resumed employment with Pulford Estates, working briefly in the Reay Forest and soon after from Kinlochbervie Garage, where he also drove the local school bus.
It was as ambulance driver based at Kinlochbervie Garage for a generation that George Alick’s reputation for reliability and endurance spread throughout remote north-west Sutherland, transporting patients from as far as Durness to hospital, in the more basic ambulances of half-a-century ago, over narrow, single-track roads for much of the way, usually unaccompanied by medically-trained personnel.
Indeed he was reputed to have experienced cases of expectant mothers giving birth in his ambulance.
Sadly this aspect of his long career came to an abrupt end when he suffered a stroke in middle-age and could no longer undertake marathon ambulance journeys. He continued to work in the garage until retirement.
George Alick never married, but did for some time in later years support until her death a close friend, whom he asked to be remembered on his tombstone.
His mother Annie died suddenly in 1962, and his father, a Great War veteran known as Noellie, in 1977.
In retirement he survived major cancer surgery, which left subsequent medical problems, but lived at home until his mid-80s, when he became increasingly frail. He spent some months in Migdale Hospital, before being transferred to Mo Dhachaidh care home in Ullapool. When the latter closed suddenly earlier this year, he was moved to Lynemore Care Home, Grantown on Spey, where he suffered an accident and died, shortly after his return from treatment in Raigmore Hospital.
Mourners flocked from a wide area to pay their last tributes at George Alick’s funeral service, held by Rev Andrea Boyes, in Kinlochbervie Church, followed by interment at Sheigra Cemetery.
Many old friends and acquaintances recalled some of George Alick’s exploits and paid well-deserved unofficial tributes afterwards at a reception in the Garbet Hotel. WRM
