Private Walter Richard Colbert Royal Norfolk Regiment
The Man Walter Richard Colbert was born on Monday 6th November 1916 in Peterborough, son of Walter and Velma nee Eldridge. Walter died in 1920 aged just 34 when Walter junior was four years old, thus seemingly an only child.
Following his education Walter became a labourer working in the Market Garden trade and during the second quarter of 1939 aged 23, married Ivy Kathleen Emery in Peterborough. The 1939 Register shows them both living at Back Lane, Eye in Cambridgeshire, although Kathleen’s name is spelled with a C.
They didn’t have long to enjoy their marriage as following the start of World War II on 3rd September 1939, Walter was called up and enlisted into the 5th Battalion Royal Norfolk Regiment as a Private with service number 5777225.
The 5th Battalion RNR served with the 53rd Infantry Brigade, 18th Division in a home defence role until late 1941 when they were posted to the Far East, arriving at Singapore Naval Naval Base D on 13th January 1942.
They were involved in some of the fiercest fighting in defending the colony, but Walter was captured on the surrender of the colony and taken as a Prisoner of War of the Japanese where he was sent to work on the infamous Thai Burma Railway.
His Japanese PoW record states ‘Overland 8 May 43, indicating the possible date he was transported to Thailand. He was held at Camp 3A and sadly succumbed to the inhuman treatment meted out by the Japanese and perished on 25th July 1943 of dysentery and aged 26.
He was buried, his body being later moved at the end of the war to Don Rak Commonwealth War Grave Cemetery in Kanchanaburi, Thailand, grave number 10 F 2 – 10 L 4. He was posthumously awarded the1939-45 Star, Pacific Star, Defence Medal and War Medal 1939-45, his name also appearing on the War Memorial in Eye, Cambridgeshire.
Ivy remarried in 1948 to Ronald Frank Peach and passed away in 1983 in Peterborough.
Following his education Walter became a labourer working in the Market Garden trade and during the second quarter of 1939 aged 23, married Ivy Kathleen Emery in Peterborough. The 1939 Register shows them both living at Back Lane, Eye in Cambridgeshire, although Kathleen’s name is spelled with a C.
They didn’t have long to enjoy their marriage as following the start of World War II on 3rd September 1939, Walter was called up and enlisted into the 5th Battalion Royal Norfolk Regiment as a Private with service number 5777225.
The 5th Battalion RNR served with the 53rd Infantry Brigade, 18th Division in a home defence role until late 1941 when they were posted to the Far East, arriving at Singapore Naval Naval Base D on 13th January 1942.
They were involved in some of the fiercest fighting in defending the colony, but Walter was captured on the surrender of the colony and taken as a Prisoner of War of the Japanese where he was sent to work on the infamous Thai Burma Railway.
His Japanese PoW record states ‘Overland 8 May 43, indicating the possible date he was transported to Thailand. He was held at Camp 3A and sadly succumbed to the inhuman treatment meted out by the Japanese and perished on 25th July 1943 of dysentery and aged 26.
He was buried, his body being later moved at the end of the war to Don Rak Commonwealth War Grave Cemetery in Kanchanaburi, Thailand, grave number 10 F 2 – 10 L 4. He was posthumously awarded the1939-45 Star, Pacific Star, Defence Medal and War Medal 1939-45, his name also appearing on the War Memorial in Eye, Cambridgeshire.
Ivy remarried in 1948 to Ronald Frank Peach and passed away in 1983 in Peterborough.
The Story The medals awarded to Walter Richard Colbert were acquired from E-Bay on 4th May 2024. They were spotted because of the distinctive 1939-45, Pacific Stars, Defence and War Medal 1939-45 combination and listed as ‘O.H.M.S Group Awarded Too Colbert, Peterborough Area’ (sic). The box of award with the medals was named to Mrs I K Colbert, suggesting they were a casualty group.
A check of the Commonwealth War Graves website confirmed that a Walter Richard Colbert was a casualty, buried in Kanchanaburi Commonwealth War Grave Cemetery in Thailand. A cross-referencing check of Ancestry using his name confirmed he had married Ivy Kathleen Emery in 1939, thus, they were his medals that had been sent to his wife. Another important addition to a sub-theme of this collection.
An offer was made on the group which was accepted and Ancestry enabled a brief biography to be completed.
This is an example of the importance of keeping named documentation with the medals, for without the box of award there would simply be three unnamed WWII medals.
Another point of note, is that the award of the Defence Medal is correct, as although Walter only served in the UK for two years, the 5th Bn Norfolks were sent to Singapore, landing in January 1942. Thus, he would have qualified under the six-month rule ‘In a non-operational area subjected to air attack or closely threatened’, the requirement was 180 days (six months) of service overseas from or outside a person's country of residence’ Singapore, then in Malaya being subject to this.
A check of the Commonwealth War Graves website confirmed that a Walter Richard Colbert was a casualty, buried in Kanchanaburi Commonwealth War Grave Cemetery in Thailand. A cross-referencing check of Ancestry using his name confirmed he had married Ivy Kathleen Emery in 1939, thus, they were his medals that had been sent to his wife. Another important addition to a sub-theme of this collection.
An offer was made on the group which was accepted and Ancestry enabled a brief biography to be completed.
This is an example of the importance of keeping named documentation with the medals, for without the box of award there would simply be three unnamed WWII medals.
Another point of note, is that the award of the Defence Medal is correct, as although Walter only served in the UK for two years, the 5th Bn Norfolks were sent to Singapore, landing in January 1942. Thus, he would have qualified under the six-month rule ‘In a non-operational area subjected to air attack or closely threatened’, the requirement was 180 days (six months) of service overseas from or outside a person's country of residence’ Singapore, then in Malaya being subject to this.
Eye War Memorial, Cambridgeshire
Walter Richard Colbert is one of 16 soldiers in this collection who perished whilst working on the Burma Railaway and whose final resting place is Kanchanaburi or Chungkai Commonwealth War Cemeteries in Thailand or Thanbyuzayat in Myanmar. May their souls rest in eternal peace. Click on each name to read about:
Medal Details:
- 1939-45 Star: Unnamed as awarded.
- Pacific Star: Unnamed as awarded.
- Defence Medal: Unnamed as awarded.
- War Medal 1939-45: Unnamed as awarded.
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Page last updated 11 May 24
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