COLBEY, Stair John Gordon
| Service Number: | S213516 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 20 October 1939, Keswick, SA |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | Not yet discovered |
| Born: | Adelaide, South Australia, 14 February 1910 |
| Home Town: | Adelaide, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Blanchetown, Port Wakefield, and Scotch College, South Australia |
| Occupation: | Clerk |
| Died: | Loxton, South Australia, 25 June 1988, aged 78 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Loxton Cemetery, S.A. |
| Memorials: |
World War 2 Service
| 20 Oct 1939: | Enlisted Keswick, SA | |
|---|---|---|
| 22 Dec 1939: | Enlisted Private, S213516 |
Six brothers
Reginald John George and Agnes Mary COLBEY were the parents of 8 sons, 7 of whom survived to adulthood. When the call went out to enlist in Wold War 2, all 7 surviving sons applied to the armed services but only 6 were accepted as the oldest was in a reserved occupation with the Commonwealth Railways at Tarcoola.
Used undoubtedly as a recruiting enticement, the six COLBEY brothers were featured in ‘The Mail’ on Saturday, 23 August 1941 with their photographs and personal details.
The Mail (Adelaide, SA : 1912 - 1954)Saturday 23 August 1941 - Page 6
Six Brothers In Family Enlist
Six of the seven sons of Police-Sgt. R. J. G. Colbey and Mrs. Colbey, of Gumeracha, have enlisted in the fighting forces. The seventh son is in a reserved occupation, and has made repeated unsuccessful applications to be released from his job to enlist.
The sons in the services, taking them by ages, are:
Arthur Alan COLBEY
Stair John Gordon COLBEY
Geoffrey Murray COLBEY
Keith COLBEY
Robert Sabey COLBEY
Warwick Douglas COLBEY
Mr. Stair Colbey, 31, who applied for enlistment in the A.I.F. in October, 1939 — on the first day on which enlistments were called for in South Australia. He was discharged from the A.I.F. in December, 1939, as medically unfit for service not occasioned by his own default. He was a corporal at the time. He then served at army headquarters, Keswick, until May, 1941.
Stair John Gordon COLBEY was born 14 February, 1910 in Pulteney Street, Adelaide although his father had been transferred with the South Australian Police to Kapunda in 1908 and the family had been living there.
Stair was named after his Scottish great-grandfather, Stair Kerr, a farmer at Hampstead who had arrived in South Australia in 1840.
He attended school at Blanchetown and Port Wakefield before completing his education at Scotch College, Adelaide. Stair played football and cricket as well as being involved with rifle clubs and racing greyhounds.
Stair was married 18 May 1940 in Pirie Street Methodist Church, Adelaide, South Australia, to Janet May (EDWARDS).
After the war, Stair and Janet COLBEY moved to Loxton, South Australia where he worked in a clerical position with the Government of South Australia. He did not have any children.
Stair died 25 June, 1988 and his remains are interred at Loxton.
Submitted 10 March 2021 by Kathleen Emms
Biography contributed by Kathleen Emms
Stair John Gordon COLBEY was the third son of Reginald John George and Agnes Mary (SABEY) COLBEY. Stair was named after his great-grandfather, Stair KERR. He was one of the 6 sons of Reginald and Agnes who served in WW2.
His father was a Mounted Constable with the South Australian Police Force and thus he attended country schools around the state finishing his schooling at Scotch College.
He married Janet EDWARDS on 18th May, 1940 at the Pirie Street Methodist Church.
After the war, Stair resided at Loxton and was the Loxton Show Secretary for some time.
He died at Loxton on 25th June, 1988.
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