Smith, Colin George Hamilton

Date of birth:: July 18th, 1919 (Maitland/South Australia)
Date of death:: May 2nd, 1941 (Tobruk, Libya)
Buried on:: Commonwealth War Cemetery Tobruk
Grave: 252.
Nationality:: Australian

Biography

Service Number: SX 7196

Colin Smith died during the early hours of the morning on the 2nd of May 1941 in Tobruk in northern Africa. He along with three other Australian soldiers, including two doctors, were sitting in an ambulance adjacent to the 2/13th Battalion Regimental Aid Post when the vehicle took a direct hit from an artillery shell. One doctor survived the attack with the others all succumbing to their wounds. The attack took place during the second unsuccessful attempt by the German forces under General Rommel to penetrate the British and Australian defences during the nine month siege of Tobruk. At the time of his death Colin had been in Tobruk for a little over 3 months. He had already experienced fierce action during the Germans first attempt to take Tobruk during what was known as the “Easter Battle”. Prior to enlisting in the Australian Army on the 14th of June 1940 Colin was studying Pharmacy in Adelaide under an Indentures of Apprenticeship. Colin was the third youngest of a family of three boys and three girls. The family farmed wheat and sheep near the town of Keith east of Adelaide. His parents were reluctant to see their son enlist as he was almost halfway through his pharmacy apprenticeship and obviously had a bright future. He was able to persuade his parents by convincing them that his pharmacy skills would be of value to the Ambulance Service. He reported for duty on the 26th of June 1940 with the 2/8th Field Ambulance. Colin was known as a person who loved life and particularly playing rugby where his size and strength was a distinct advantage. A little over two months after Colin was killed his younger brother, Jimmy, enlisted in the air force. He was killed when the bomber that he was piloting was shot down over the North Sea on the 23rd of June 1943.

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