Roy Gordon COLLIN

Badge Number: 6060, Sub Branch: Gawler
6060

COLLIN, Roy Gordon

Service Number: 5327
Enlisted: 25 April 1916
Last Rank: Private
Last Unit: 27th Infantry Battalion
Born: Gawler River, South Australia, 10 April 1898
Home Town: Gawler River, Light, South Australia
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Labourer
Died: Stomach cancer, Calvary Hospital, North Adelaide, South Australia, 25 June 1944, aged 46 years
Cemetery: Willaston General Cemetery, South Australia
Memorials: Gawler Baptist Church WW1 Honour Roll, Gawler Council Gawler Men Who Answered the Call WW1 Roll of Honor, Gawler War Memorial
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World War 1 Service

25 Apr 1916: Enlisted
12 Aug 1916: Involvement Private, 5327, 27th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '15' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Ballarat embarkation_ship_number: A70 public_note: ''
12 Aug 1916: Embarked Private, 5327, 27th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ballarat, Adelaide
Date unknown: Wounded 5327, 27th Infantry Battalion

Roy Gordon Collin

(My mother's Uncle)

Roy was the youngest of the 3 Collin brothers to enlist in this conflict. His brother, Allen (#2106) and Art (#6652) had already gone overseas.
No doubt he had to wait to turn 18 before enlisting.
Roy's service number was 5327 and he was in 2nd Depot Battalion AIF. 27th.
He had served 3 years in 80 Senior Cadets and was still serving when he enlisted.

He went to Plymouth, Folkstone & France where he was wounded in action ( Gassed ) twice. He then suffered a gunshot wound to his hand. (1918)

He was charged with being AWOL after being late back from hospital in England and after a court martial was sentenced to prison.

He was discharged 7 December 1919.

As with many other soldiers, he was very young & his brother Allen had been killed in 1916, his other brother, Art, was listed as missing-- no doubt he was reluctant to return to the trenches.

Roy never fully recovered from the gassing and was in ill health most of his life.
This large family was devestated by the effects of the war as were many other families.
His mother received a silver badge with 1 gold star on it... I understand it was to denote that one son had died during the war. I still have this badge.

The boy's sister, my grandmother, had 3 sons serving in the second World War.




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Biography contributed by David Barlow

The Advertiser (Adelaide) Tuesday 27 June 1944

(Death Notice) COLLIN - on June 25 at Calvary Hospital in North Adelaide; Roy Gordon, beloved husband of Ivy Collin of 15 Fifth street, Gawler South. Aged 46 years (late 1st A.I.F.)

(Funeral Notice) COLLIN - the friends of the late Mr Roy Gordon Collin are respectfully informed that his funeral will leave his late residence on Tuesday for the Willaston Cemetery.