Victor Albert Colvin (c1890-1976)

1915

Wyndham City Libraries

text

eng

Victor Albert Colvin

2589

Mrs C. J. West
Mother

Unknown

Single

Yallourn Cemetery

No.2589  Corporal Victor Albert Colvin
Victor Colvin was born in Healesville, Victoria in about 1890 to Charles Herbert Colvin and Elizabeth Ann (nee West).  He had four brothers:

• George David (also served in WW1)
• Charles Herbert
• William Henry
• Julius Ferdinand 

and two sisters:

• Florence Elizabeth 
• Mary L. 

His father appears to have passed away in 1884 in Heidelberg West. Victor's mother remarried in 1895 to Charles James West, and passed away in 1916 in Kyneton, Victoria.

In 1913, Victor was living at Corio as a blacksmith and was a member of the Rifle Club in Werribee for four and a half years before his enlistment.

War Service
Victor enlisted into the Army at Warragul, Melbourne, Victoria on the 11 May 1915.  He was aged 23 years and 8 months and he was 5 feet eight and three quarter inches tall.  He weighed 143 pounds and had a chest measurement of thirty five to thirty eight and a half inches. His complexion was listed as fair, with grey eyes and fair hair. All of this was recorded at the time of his enlistment.

He embarked overseas on 26 August 1915, and was taken on strength from 31 October 1915 at Lemnos.  He disembarked at Alexandria on 7 January 1916 from Lemnos.  His records indicate that he was punished early in his service for breaking out of camp and being absent without leave from 14 January 1916 to 15 January 1916 and forfeited 2 days pay.  He was appointed S/Corporal on 21 March 1916 and he joined the B.R.F. in Alexandria on 26 March 1916.  Victor disembarked at Marseilles on 2 April 1916.  On 21 May 1916 he was appointed Lance Corporal and was then promoted to corporal on 14 July 1916.

During the months July to November, he was admitted in the field, for various illnesses, an old abdominal wound and diarrhoea.  He embarked to England with Rheumatic fever (trench fever) on 5 December 1916 and was admitted to the 2nd B War hospital on 6 December 1916.  He stayed there until 6 February 1917 where he was transferred to the 3rd Auxiliary Hospital.  He returned to Australia on 16 July 1917 and was discharged on 7 November 1917.

His record record that he returned on 11 September 1917 to the 3rd M.D. suffering from "shell shock and heart". Victor applied for the Gallipoli Medal in a letter to the Central Army Recruits Office on 27 April 1967, and his records do not say whether he received this medal.

Post War
Victor married Olive Maud Tyzack in Victoria in 1919. They had three daughters:

• Joan Olive - born 1920
• Gwenneth Headley - born 1922
• Marjorie Jean - born 1928 

Victor and Olive celebrated their Silver Wedding Anniversary on 18 January 1944, according to a notice in The Argus, 18 January 1944, p. 2.   Their address at the time of the silver wedding anniversary was 3 Northway Yallourn.

Electoral rolls have Victor and Olive living at Alphington, Fairfield from 1922 to 1926.  During the years 1922 to 1943, his occupation is listed as Clerk, and from 1943 to 1954 his occupation is noted as Stores Superintendent.  From 1926 Olivia and Victor are living at Moe, until 1976 where Victor passed away on 5 December 1976. He is buried at the Yallourn Cemetery.

Medals & Entitlements:

• 1914/15 Star Medal
• British War Medal
• Victory Medal

AIF project
http://www.aif.adfa.edu.au:8080/index.html

Ancestry
http://search.ancestry.com.au

National Archives of Australia
http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/

Trove
Harvard/Australian citation
1920 'Family Notices', The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), 27 March, p. 11. , viewed 20 Aug 2016, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1686512
Harvard/Australian citation
1944 'Family Notices', The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), 18 January, p. 2. , viewed 20 Aug 2016, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11824135

1914-15 Star

British War Medal

Victory Medal