Soldier profiles

Name : ALLEN, COLIN
Service Number : VX32205
Date of Birth : 01/05/1919
Place of Birth : NORTH CARLTON, VIC
Known as :
Occupation on Enlistment : FARM LABOURER
Date of Enlistment : 14/06/1940
Locality on Enlistment : ELSTERNWICK, VIC
Place of Enlistment : ROYAL PARK, VIC
Next of Kin : ALLEN, ALBERT
Rank (at time of discharge / death) : PRIVATE
Service : ARMY
Final Posting : 2/2 PIONEER BATTALION
Position / Platoon / Company (as 2/2 Pioneer) (date / details) : ATTACHED FROM AUSTRALIAN ARMY MEDICAL CORPS
Unit Transfers / Promotions (date / details) :
Theatres of War : SYRIA
Actions : ?FORT MERDJAYOUN (SYRIA), BALATE RIDGE (SYRIA)
Wounded (date / details) :
Discharged : N/A
Date Died : 27/06/1941
Age at Death : 22
Community Roll of Honour : NORTH CARLTON (VIC)
Buried Location / Memorial (P.O.W., D.O.W., K.I.A.) : DAMASCUS COMMONWEALTH WAR CEMETERY, SYRIA. Q. 109. / AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL COMMEMORATIVE AREA PANEL 72
K.I.A. (date / details) : 27/06/1941 / BALATE RIDGE (SYRIA)
D.O.W. (date / details) : N/A
M.I.A. (date / details) : N/A
P.O.W. (location/s) : NO
Died P.O.W. (date / details) : N/A
P.O.W. Camps (details) : N/A
Recovered P.O.W. (location/s) : N/A
Honours and Gallantry : None for display
Applicable Australian War Memorial circulars : Australian War Memorial Death Circular
References found (entries & photos) : National Archives of Australia (Barcode 6226280 [DIGITISED], Barcode 60184420 [DIGITISED], Barcode 60184421 [DIGITISED], Barcode 32342350 [OPEN]), WW2 Nominal Roll, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Australian War Memorial

Background : Son of Albert and Florence Christina Maud Allen, of Elsternwick, Victoria, Australia. Brother of June Allen. Nephew of Doris Donovan. Used to live in Fenwick Street, North Carlton, Victoria. May have attended Lee St. State School located a few blocks away. Mate of Tom Brown who lived opposite at 105 Fenwick St, served in an Ack Ack unit on Horn Island and then later with the Medical Corp in New Guinea.

Service & personal summary At enlistment : single. No previous military experience. Hazel eyes, dark brown hair. Marks / scars : transverse scar over nose.

Service record
14/06/1940 Taken on strength Recruit Reception Depot Royal Park, Victoria.
19/06/1940 Transferred to No. 6 Australian Imperial Forces Depot Dandenong, Victoria from Recruit Reception Depot Royal Park, Victoria.
15/07/1940 Posted to 2/9 Field Ambulance Seymour, Victoria from No. 6 Australian Imperial Forces Depot Dandenong, Victoria.
07/08/1940 Transferred to 2 Recruit Reception Depot Royal Park, Victoria.
02/09/1940 Transferred to 7 Australian General Hospital from Recruit Reception Depot Royal Park, Victoria (2/9 Field Ambulance).
18/10/1940 Detached for duty in H.M.T. ?Vide ?inst defensively equipped merchant ship (DEMS).
19/10/1940 Embarked Sydney, New South Wales on R.M.S. Aquitania.
08/11/1940 Embarked Bombay, India on H.M.S. Mauretania for Australia.
24/11/1940 Disembarked Melbourne, Victoria.
08/01/1941 Transferred to 2/2 Pioneer Battalion Puckapunyal, Seymour, Victoria.
08/01/1941 Transferred from 7 Australian General Hospital Puckapunyal, Seymour, Victoria to 2/2 Pioneer Battalion.
06/02/1941 Admitted Camp Hospital Puckapunyal, Seymour, Victoria with vaccination reaction.
10/02/1941 Discharged from Camp Hospital.
10/02/1941 Rejoined unit from Camp Dressing Station Puckapunyal, Seymour, Victoria.
07/04/1941 Embarked Sydney, New South Wales on H.M.S. Queen Mary (H.M.T. N.N.).
12/04/1941 Admitted to ship's hospital.
16/04/1941 Discharged from ship's hospital.
03/05/1941 Disembarked Middle East.
27/06/1941 Reported missing in action and transferred to X list.
27/06/1941 Previously reported missing in action now reported killed in action.
13/07/1941 Previously reported missing in action now reported killed in action.
13/07/1941 Buried Syria north by northeast of Balate on ridge map ref 207164.
20/09/1941 Reburied grave No. P13 Damascus British War Cemetery.