Percy COLBORN, Father and Son, – Charfield

511144 or 1311144, Gunner Percy William George Colborn, 85th Anti Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery

Died as a Prisoner of War on the building of the Burma Railway, aged 24, 11th September 1942

Buried/Commemorated at Chungkai War Cemetery, Thailand and commemorated on Charfield War memorial

Percy’s father was a tile worker and he lived with his parents, Percy and Emily Kate at 2 Station Road, Charfield. Percy senior may have served in the Army a child solder, as evidence by the photographer shared by the family, before then again signing up for WW1 later in life.

Young Percy served in the Malayan Theatre of War and was captured and held at Chungkai POW camp Malai 3. Percy was one of many soldiers who perished from abuse, disease or malnutrition whilst working on the infamous Thai/Burma Railway, constructed during 1942/43. His records indicate that he died from a throat infection. He left his estate to his mother Emily Kate Colborn.

As mentioned previously Percy’s father, also Percy, served in WW1 and was in the 10th Worcesters, his service number was possibly 18640 before changing to 508030 the he transferred to the Labour Corps later in the war.

Percy was one of four brothers who fought in WW1. You can read more about George, Frank and William in other posts on the page.