Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Embarkation Roll (static.awm.gov.au) correctly records Surname as COLLEY while the AWM software (www.awm.gov.au) appears to have mistakenly deciphered the original embarkation roll to read CONEY 

Mark William Colley was the only known child to Mark William and the late Hilda Lucy Colley, born on the 13 of December 1874. He was born in Humbug Scrub, Playford City, South Australia. He later moved to Littlehampton South Australia. He attended Woodville public school later moving to Murdock’s Hill public school. After finishing school, Mark became a ganger (a foreman of a group of labourers). His religion was Church of England (Christian). He was married but later his wife died (how she died is unknown). He had a daughter named Mavis Ray Colley.

Mark enlisted on the 3rd of April 1916, he enlisted as a private(trooper/soldier). Mark’s service number when he enlisted was 1632. When he enlisted into the army, he was aged 42 and 2 months old, 5 feet and 7 inches tall or 170 centimetres. His vision in both eyes was 6 out of 6, meaning he had perfect vision. He joined the 43rd Battalion which was one of the last Battalions to be constructed of mainly South Australian people. The Battalion was housed at the Morphettville racecourse. Firearms practice was held in the sand dunes between Glenelg and Henley Beach. The practice attack was held at Montefiore Hill.

On the 9th of June 1916 Mark boarded the A19 Afric in Adelaide from outer harbour and left for France. The 43rd Battalion briefly stopped in Egypt but then kept proceeding to France. The A19 Afric arrived at Marseilles 20/7/1916 and Mark went to the 11th Training Battalion and proceeded to join the 43rd Battalion arriving in France 25/11/1916 to fight in the Western Front trenches. Mark became sick in the field whilst fighting and was taken to the hospital on the 13th of April 1917. He was taken to hospital with an inflammation called bronchitis (the airways to your lungs inflame). The next day Mark was taken on an ambulance train and went to the 35th Gen hospital. Mark’s airway inflammation went down but he was diagnosed with emphysema which is a disease that causes breathlessness. Only a few days later Mark died at the 35th General hospital on the date 13/4/1917 at 11am due to pericarditis (swelling of tissue around the heart causing sharp chest pain.) Mark was buried in France at Calais southern cemetery, plot F, row 5 grave 1.

After the war Mavis Ray Colley (Mark’s daughter) was left back in Australia with no parents. She was left alone but since her father had served in the war, Mavis was granted a pension fortnightly. Mavis was given 20 shillings every second week. Mavis was also sent two photographs of her father, marked with a description on where his grave is. Mark has been put on his hometown’s (Littlehampton) honour role, and was also honoured on the Mount Barker War Memorial.

Bibliography

Virtual War Memorial Australia (2023) Mark William Colley, Virtual War Memorial, accessed 27 June 2023. https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/117142

National Archives of Australia (2023) Colley M W, National Archives of Australia, accessed 27 June 2023. https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=3270855&S=3&R=0

Find a Grave (2010) Mark William Colley, Find a Grave, accessed 27 June 2023. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56482522/mark-william-colley

Australian War Memorial (2023) Mark William Colley, Australian War Memorial, accessed 27 June 2023. https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/P10712907