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Private Robert Hendry Colville

 

Robert Hendry Bothwell Colville was born on 16 December 1899 at Maghereagh, Kilkeel, County Down, the second of two children of coast guard Malcolm Colville and his wife Annie (née Bothwell). His father died of influenza when he was just a month old. By the time of the 1911 Census he was living at 5 Stapleton Place, Dundalk, County Louth, with his mother, brother, a half-brother (from his father's first marriage) and an aunt.

Colville enlisted in the North Irish Horse between 18 and 27 April 1917 (No.2425 – later Corps of Hussars No.71818). He was only 17 years old at the time.

In January 1918 he embarked for Egypt with a draft of North Irish Horsemen from the regimental reserved depot at Antrim. There he was attached to the 1/1st Nottinghamshire Yeomanry (Sherwood Rangers), serving with that regiment in the Palestine campaign. He was still serving in late 1919.

After the war Colville emigrated to the United States.