"Joe" Joseph COLPITTS

Born 16 February 1901 in Preston, Lancashire, England ^[P48]
Son of William Robert COLPITTS and Isabella Jane Cruickshanks ANGUS ^[P48]
In 1901 was living with his parents and sisters May & Ella at Kitchen Terrace in Grimsargh with Brockholes, Lancashire, England ^[20]
Served with the British Army at the beginning of the First World War and with the British Grenadiers 1919-1926 ^[P48]
Along with his parents and wife to be arrived in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on the Largs Bay on 9 June 1927 ^[63]
Married "Lily" Elizabeth SNAITH on 6 December 1927 in Griffith, New South Wales, Australia ^[P48]
In March 1928 shifted to John W. COLPITTS' Heppleholme Farm in Winchester, Western Australia ^{[4: 16-Feb-1929]}
Farmhand on Heppleholme Farm and neighbouring farms in Winchester in 1928^{[4: 16-Feb-1929]}
In 1928 resided with his wife, parents and siblings in one of the two houses onHeppleholme Farm, Winchester ^{[4: 16-Feb-1929]}
Father of an unnamed child who died aged half an hour in 1928 and was buried at the Winchester Cemetery in Carnamah ^[P48]
Farmed elsewhere in Western Australia 1929-1932 before returning to Griffith in New South Wales in 1933 ^[P48]
Resided in Griffith 1933-1939, during which time he was lessee of the local baths, manager of a packing works and a farmer ^[P48]
Enlisted in the Australian Army on 4 March 1939 ^[P48]
On enlistment was listed as 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighing 175 lbs and as being medically fit ^[P48]
Embarked for overseas service on the troopship U2 on 9 January 1940, and served in Greece, Ceylon and New Guinea ^[P48]
Sergeant NX8905 in the Australian Army's 2/1 Australian Infantry Battalion during the Second World War ^[16]
Died from wounds on 3 November 1942 in Papua New Guinea; buried at the Kokada War Cemetery in Papua New Guinea ^[18]
His remains were later moved to the Bomana War Cemetery in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea ^[17]
His name appears on the Roll of Honour for Griffith NSW ^[16]; there is a Colpitts Street in Griffith NSW named in his honour ^[P48]
Father of Leslie James WESTON (later Leslie James SCARBOROUGH) ^[P48]
Father of Ronald William COLPITTS who tragically drowned at the age of four years on 31 May 1934 in Griffith NSW ^[P48]


From The Area Herald newspaper, Tuesday 10 November 1942:
Died of Wounds - Corporal Joseph Colpitts
     Official advice was received on Friday night that Corpora Joseph Colpitts, of Griffith, had died of wounds. It is presumed that the wounds were received in the fighting in New Guinea as his last communications were from there. Altogether, he fought in nine different countries in this war. In the last war he was a member of the Grenadier Guards.
     The late Corporal Colpitts, who was aged 42 years, enlisted in the second A.I.F. from Griffith in the early part of 1940. He went to the Middle East and fought in the first Libyan campaign. Following that he went over to Greece and through the whole of the Grecian campaign. During that time he experienced hard fighting. He saw his comrades killed all round him in large numbers, but managed to survive. At one stage, when troops were on the retreat, his party was reduced to cooking grass in tin hats to eat. The Greek people were most kind to all the Allied soldiers and di everything possible to assist them.
     A Greek merchant paid the owner of a small boat £100 to take a party of soldiers, including the deceased over to Crete. In order to avoid attack from German aircraft, the party had to travel from island to island by night, hiding in an island by day.
At arrival on the island of Samos, quite close to the coast of Turkey they telephoned the British Counsel on the mainland. The Consul advised them that if they came ashore they would be interned. However, he sent them foodstuffs and tobacco.
The party then resumed its journey going southward. On reaching Crete the members went through the second campaign on that island. When the Germans had secured possession of the northern part of the island, this soldier from Griffith, along with other survivors, marched over the mountainous centre of the island to the south coast. That was, of course, very rough going. But they were able to get a boat in which to sail back to Egypt.
     Some time later, the deceased soldier volunteered to return with a party of men in Crete in order to rescue some of the soldiers who had been left behind on the island and were living in caves and, it is understood, in the woods awaiting a chance of being rescued. The rescue party was successful in bringing back several hundred men to Egypt. Afterwards the intrepid soldier saw service in Syria. He was also stationed for a considerable time in Palestine. From there he sent, together with photographs, some very interesting letters regarding the sacred placed, people and commerce.
     While in a cafe in the Middle East he accidentally met his brother, Bill. He had not previously known that his brother was in the army at that time. On the return journey to Australia the deceased was stationed in Ceylon for a while. That was about the time when the Japanese were threatening to attack India. Whilst in Perth he had the opportunity of seeing his father, Mr. W. R. Colpitts.
On returing to Griffith he had a fortnight's leave during which he was visited by many old friends. He was one of 22 returned A.I.F. and R.A.A.F. men tendered a welcome home in the Memorial Hall on August 18. Subsequently he was sent north and was soon in the fighting in New Guinea He was in constant communication with his wife, giving general reports as to his welfare, and making plans for the future - plans which, alas, will never materialise. A communication from the minister for the Army advised that the soldier died of wounds on November 3. In a recent letter deceased stated that he had served in nine different countries in this war.
     The deceased soldier first came to the [Griffith] Area with his parents from England in 1927, his father being a retired Sergeant of police in Manchester. Here deceased married Miss Elizabeth Snaith. After about a year here, the Colpitts went to Western Australia where deceased took up land. For five years he was engaged in wheat growing in that State. He and his wife also conducted the Griffith baths and tuck shop for a couple of years. He was also manager of the Yends branch of the Murrumbidgee Packing House. Much sympathy will be felt for the widow in the loss of her brave husband. Deceased's mother died whilst he was on active service in the Middle East, about six months ago. His only two brothers are in the A.I.F. His brother William also went through the Libyan campaign."
Note: on arrival in Western Australia he initially worked as a farmhand in Winchester

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