COLEBATCH, Hector Edwin
| Service Number: | 2332 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 27 March 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Company Sergeant Major |
| Last Unit: | 48th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Adelaide, South Australia, 8 October 1896 |
| Home Town: | Hyde Park, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Broken Hill Public Schools, NSW; Unley Public School, South Australia |
| Occupation: | Motor Mechanic |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 11 April 1917, aged 20 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Silverton North Broken Hill Public School Roll of Honour, Unley Arch of Remembrance, Unley St. Augustine's Church Roll of Honour, Unley Town Hall WW1 Honour Board, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial (Australian National Memorial - France) |
World War 1 Service
| 27 Mar 1915: | Enlisted | |
|---|---|---|
| 27 Mar 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 2332, 16th Infantry Battalion (WW1), Enlisted in Keswick, SA | |
| 24 Jun 1915: | Embarked Private, 2332, 16th Infantry Battalion (WW1), HMAT Kanowna, Adelaide | |
| 24 Jun 1915: | Involvement Private, 2332, 16th Infantry Battalion (WW1), --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '12' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Kanowna embarkation_ship_number: A61 public_note: '' | |
| 15 Oct 1915: | Promoted AIF WW1, Lance Sergeant, At Mudros | |
| 3 Mar 1916: | Transferred AIF WW1, Lance Sergeant, 48th Infantry Battalion, Transferred from 16th Battalion to the 48th Battlion | |
| 9 Mar 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Sergeant, 48th Infantry Battalion, At Tel-el-Kebir | |
| 18 Mar 1917: | Promoted AIF WW1, Company Sergeant Major, 48th Infantry Battalion | |
| 11 Apr 1917: | Involvement 2332, 48th Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 2332 awm_unit: 48 Battalion awm_rank: Company Sergeant Major awm_died_date: 1917-04-11 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Sharyn Roberts
Son of George Gardner Colebatch and Kate Albertina (nee Gibbons) Colebatch; brother of Kate Albertina Colebatch, Celia Edith Colbatch, Harold Gordon Colebatch who returned to Australia having served with the 41st Battalion and George Gibbons Colebatch who returned to Australia on the 25 September 1919 having served with the 2nd Australian General Hospital
Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal
Served over 4 years with the cadets and the Citizen Military Forces
Biography contributed by Faithe Jones
The Register (Adelaide, SA : 1901 - 1929) 4 Mar 1918: 6.
LATE COMPANY SGT.MAJOR H.E. COLEBATCH
Company Sgt-Major Hector Edwin Colebatch of the 48th Battalion, son of Mr. and Mrs. G.C. Colebatch, Hyde Park, who was reported missing on. April 11,1917; has now been officially reported, killed in action on that date. Born at St. Peters in October, 1896, he went to Broken Hill four years later. He was educated at the North Broken Hill and afterwards at Unley Public School. At the Barrier he joined the Boy Scout movement, and was also prominent in the school lacrosse team. At Unley he was an enthusiastic member of St Augustine's Tennis Club and Sturt Lacrosse Club, of which he was captain for the season 1914. He was also a member of the 74th Infantry Band. For nearly four years he was in the employ of Messrs. Vivian Lewis Limited, and was very popular. He enlisted in March, 1915, and was appointed corporal before embarkation With the 7th Reinforcements of the 16th Battalion. He was made sergeant while at Fremantle. After several months training in Egypt he joined his regiment on Lemnos Island, and landed on Gallipoli in November. He was there until the memorable evacuation. Returning to Egypt, he joined the 48th Battalion on its formation, and landed in France in June, 1918. He took part in the Somme and other battles, and in December was appointed bayonet instructor at the base instructional school at Etaples for two months.. Rejoining this regiment, he was promoted to the rank of company sergeant-major in March, 1917. At Bullecourt on April 11 he was among those who were unable to answer the roll call A comrade thus describe him:- "A good lad, one of the best, and as brave as a lion."
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