Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

THE MAIL 80 YEARS AGO - 23 August 1941
SIX BROTHERS ENLIST

Reginald John George COLBEY 7 August 1882 – 25 September 1958
Agnes Mary (SABEY) COLBEY 16 February 1881 – 15 April 1943

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: —
SX2951 Pte. Alan Colbey, 33
SX222 Mr. Stair Colbey, 31

SX416 Pte. Geoffrey Colbey, 30. Enlisted A.I.F. November, 1939. Left for over seas May, 1940. Went to England, then to Near East, now in Tobruk.

Geoffrey Murray COLBEY was born at Blanchetown, 29 March, 1912. He was the fourth son and fifth child of Reginald and Agnes COLBEY, a daughter Jean having been born after three sons. He was christened on the paddle steamer ‘Etonia’ which was used as the Church of England mission boat on the River Murray.
Geoff attended schools at Blanchetown, Port Wakefield and Eudunda due to his father’s police postings. Aged 11 in January 1924, he was sent off on his pony Star, to lead the family’s house cow from Port Wakefield to Eudunda (a distance of over 100 km), due to his father’s transfer. He had no map and was told to enquire for directions along the route and to ask for a bed each night at passing farms.
A noted horseman, he rode in country gymkhanas, shows and amateur country point to point and race meetings in South Australia and western New South Wales. A credible cricketer, he was most noted as a talented footballer who won the Best and Fairest medal at Jervois in 1931 as well as other medals and was a made a life member of the Jervois Football Club after the war.
After serving in the Middle East with the 2/10th battalion, (a “Rat of Tobruk”) before moving to Palestine and Syria, he was promoted to Warrant Officer 2 at headquarters in Queensland on his return to Australia.
He married Nellie Joyce (HARRIS) at St Margaret’s Church, Woodville, 15th December, 1943. He had three children, Kathleen, Rosemary and Mark.
He worked as a wool classer in Adelaide until retirement. He died 3 July, 1996 and is interred in the Gumeracha Cemetery.

SX12405 Pte. Keith Colbey, 27.
PA1900 Able-Seaman Robert Colbey, 25
SX2953 Pte. Warwick Colbey, 22.

Apart from the above 6 brothers, there were 2 more sons, Reginald Robert Colbey 1907-1962 who was ‘the seventh son …in a reserved occupation, and [who] has made repeated unsuccessful applications to be released from his job to enlist’. He was employed by the Commonwealth Railways at Tarcoola during the war and later transferred to Alice Springs until his death. The ninth child, another son Dick was born at Eudunda in 1924 but only survived for a few hours.
The only daughter was Jean Warwick (COLBEY) HACK, 1911-1992.


The Mail (Adelaide, SA : 1912 - 1954)Saturday 23 August 1941 - Page 6