Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Completed by St Dominic's Priory School

 Sergeant Norman Champion Colliver was born in Norwood, South Australia on the 20th of April 1891 to William Henry Colliver and Emily Colliver. He resided on Birks Street Parkside, South Australia and went to Norwood Public School and Rose Park Public School. After, he went on to work as an Accountant before he enlisted in the War. Norman Champion Colliver also had 2 younger brothers, Captain Eustace James Colliver M.C and Lieutenant William Gordon Colliver, both who served in WW1.

N.C Colliver enlisted to serve in the war on December 29, 1916 as a part of the Army Medical Corps after a previous attempt to enlist where he was rejected

Norman was then sent to Mitcham camp shortly after enlisting, where he received his basic military training. Most soldiers stayed in Mitcham camp for an intensive 12 weeks of training, seeing if they were fit for active service and what unit they would be placed in.  While Norman was in training, he served as a Private in the AMC Base from February 2, 1917 until the July 16, 1917. Whilst training in the Mitcham training camp, N.C Colliver sustained 3 major injuries that sent him to hospital. One injury was to his ankle where he was hospitalised for 11 days in addition to a spell at the Auxiliary Hospital Torrens Park. After being considered fit for active service by the Mitcham camp, he was appointed into the May Reinforcements Australian Army Medical corps (A.A.M.C) as a private.

On August 8, 1917, Norman Champion Colliver embarked from Sydney on the A68 Anchises, docking in Liverpool, England on October 2, 1917. On October 4, 1917, he officially marched into the Australian Army Medical Corps training depot at Parkhouse in England. This Depot in Parkhouse was a major training station for Australian soldiers, once they arrived in the UK.

On November 2, 1917, after completing more advanced medical and battlefield training at Parkhouse training depot, Norman left the training depot and travelled to the port of Southampton.

Norman arrived in France on November 3, 1917 and was officially recorded as joining the Australian General Base Depot (A.G.B.D) in Rouelles on November 4th, 1917. The A.G.B.D in Rouelles was a large holding, organising and processing centre for newly arriving soldiers coming from England to France. The A.G.B.D also acted as a training facility for many soldiers and provided them with short training, gas mask drills and weaponry checks.

Norman Champion Colliver’s service records state that he marched out from the A.G.B.D on the 8th of February 1918 and was taken on strength by the 2nd Australian Casualty Clearing Station on February 9 for reinforcements on the battlefield. The 2nd Australian Casualty Clearing Station (A.C.C STN) was a frontline medical unit that worked only a few kilometres behind the trenches on the western front. Their job was to give emergency treatment to injured soldiers as fast as possible, after they were rescued and brought off the battlefield. This unit was the first medical unit that the seriously wounded soldiers would have reached after coming off the field. Norman’s role as a Private in this unit would have been to carry wounded soldiers, triage injuries and soldiers, sending them to receive the correct treatments and to help maintain the station’s basic hygiene, sanitation and to set up tents and assist with basic first aid.

In August 1918, Norman had approved leave for two weeks and rejoined his unit in September as a Temporary Sergeant which later turned into an ER/SGT, which means Norman held the rank of a Sergeant in a unit that was outside of combat regiment. His duties as a Sergeant would have included more organisation of his casualty clearing station and Supervised medical treatments and orderlies to ensure all duties were being completed efficiently and correctly.

Norman returned to Australia on the ship ‘Main’ and disembarked in Adelaide 5 October 1919. He was discharged 6 November 1919.

Sadly, one of his brothers, William Gordan Colliver was killed In Action in Peronne, France in September 1918, aged 22 years.

Norman Champion Colliver sadly passed away in Myrtle Bank, SA on the 5th of April 1947 at the age of 55 and is now buried in Centennial Park Cemetery. He is commemorated on numerous honour boards in Adelaide.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1.      Awm.gov.au. (2025). Advanced Search: People | Australian War Memorial. [online] Available at: https://www.awm.gov.au/advanced-search/people?people_preferred_name=norman+champion+colliver&people_alias=true&people_service_number=17950&people_roll_title=&people_embarkation_date=&roll=First+World+War+Embarkation+Roll [Accessed 26 Nov. 2025].

2.      ‌Terrace, V. (2025). View digital copy. [online] Naa.gov.au. Available at: https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=3272397 [Accessed 26 Nov. 2025].

3.      Trove. (2025). CAPT. E. J. COLLIVER, M.C. - The Register (Adelaide, SA : 1901 - 1929) - 4 Jan 1919. [online] Available at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/60540619?searchTerm=%22Norman%20C%20Colliver%22# [Accessed 26 Nov. 2025].

4.      Vwma.org.au. (2025). Norman Champion COLLIVER. [online] Available at: https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/176410 [Accessed 26 Nov. 2025].

5.      Wikitree.com. (2021). Emily (Champion) Colliver (1862-1929) | WikiTree FREE Family Tree. [online] Available at: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Champion-1402 [Accessed 26 Nov. 2025].

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