Roy Campbell the third son of Dr. Samuel and Margaret Campbell, was born in Durban, Colony of Natal, on October 2, 1901. At the time of his birth, the Second Boer War was still being fought and Roy's father was on active service as a Major with the Natal Volunteer Medical Corps. For this was reason, it was several days before Maj. Campbell learned of the birth of his son. In a Presbyterian ceremony, the baby was christened Royston Dunnachie Campbell after an uncle by marriage.