Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

"PRIVATE E. M. COLLATON.

Private Collaton, who left for the front under the command of Lieut.-Colonel O'Loghlin, is a member of the Traffic Department of S.A.R. Latest advices received from him are of a very encouraging nature. More men is his appeal, and victory for the Allies is assured." - from the Adelaide Southern Cross 17 Dec 1915 (nla.gov.au)

Edward Michael Collaton was an Australian soldier who served in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) during World War I. He was born on January 9th 1889 in Thebarton, Adelaide, South Australia. Before the war he worked as a railway shunter, which meant he helped move train carriages around rail yards. His religion was Roman Catholic, and he lived in Maylands with his wife, Mrs Mary Annie Collaton. Like many others when World War began in 1914, Edward Collaton decided to enlist and serve for Australia in the war.

Edward Michael Collaton enlisted in the AIF on May 11th 1915 when he was 26 years old. When he joined the army, he was ranked as Private, and he was given the regimental number 2760. He became part of the 10th Battalion as a member of the 8th Reinforcement group. Reinforcements were groups of soldiers who were sent to replace men who had been injured, killed, or moved to other units. On June 14th 1915, Collaton left Australia to travel overseas for military service. This would’ve been a big change in his life because he had to leave his home and family behind. After training and preparation, he was officially taken on strength on January 13th 1916. This meant he was officially listed as part of his unit and ready for service.

Soon after this, on February 26th 1916, Collaton was officialy transferred to the 50th Battalion. During the war, soldiers were often moved between units depending on where they were needed. Later in his service, Collaton was transferred to the Australian Army Medical Corps and worked with the 13th Field Ambulance. These medical units were responsible for helping wounded soldiers on the battlefield and move them away from warfare to give them the proper care they needed. On September 25th 1916, he joined the 13th Field Ambulance and returned to service in France, where many Australian soldiers were fighting on the Western Front.

Life on the Western Front was very difficult for soldiers. They lived in trenches that were often muddy, cold, and uncomfortable. They faced constant danger from enemy attacks and diseases that may have spread from the weather or poor sanitation. Because of these harsh conditions, many soldiers easily became sick as well as injured, and these circumstances affected Collaton as well. On January 14th 1918, he was admitted to hospital because he fell ill, yet it is not stated the reason why he was in hospital. After some time recovering, he returned to duty on February 6th 1918 and officially rejoined his unit on February 17th. Later that year on August 3rd 1918, he travelled to the United Kingdom. He rejoined his unit again on August 18th. Only a few months later, in November 1918, the war ended when a ceasefire was declared, which meant that the fighting between the countries had finally came to an end.

After the war ended, thousands of soldiers had to wait before they could return home because transport ships needed time to bring everyone back to Australia. Collaton arrived at Southampton in England on January 14th 1919 after travelling from France. He was told to report to the military camp at Fovant, where Australian soldiers stayed while waiting to return home. He was also processed through St Albans, which was an important centre where soldiers completed paperwork before travelling back to Australia. A letter from a Lieutenant Colonel later confirmed that Collaton was discharged from the AIF as the war had ended. Edward Michael Collaton finally returned to Australia on April 3rd 1919 after spending several years serving overseas.

After returning home, Edward Michael Collaton continued living in South Australia. Like many soldiers who came back from the war, he returned to normal life after experiencing difficult conditions during his service. He lived for many more years after the war ended. Edward Michael Collaton died from natural causes in Adelaide on November 27th 1960 at the age of 71 and was laid to rest at West Terrace Cemetery.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

AWM (2026) AWM4 Subclass 23/67, Awm.gov.au, accessed 3 March 2026.

Virtual War Memorial Australia (2026) Edward Michael Collaton, Vwma.org.au, accessed 3 March 2026.

Virtual War Memorial Australia (2026) 50th Infantry Battalion, Vwma.org.au, accessed 3 March 2026.

Virtual War Memorial Australia (2026) 13th Field Ambulance, Vwma.org.au, accessed 3 March 2026.

Australian War Memorial (2026) 13th Australian Field Ambulance, Awm.gov.au, accessed 3 March 2026.