Drv. Colin Seaton Patilla MiD.
British Army 519th Coy. Royal Army Service Corps
from:Cromford, Derbyshire
Colin Patilla was born in 1919. He was an unmarried hosiery worker when he enlisted into the RASC during October 1939. He was posted to the 519th Company, which was assigned to the 49th Division, and he later served with the 46th Divisional Ammunition Company, 1st Infantry Brigade Company, and the 519th Infantry Brigade Company.
In August 1941, whilst serving in the UK, he married Rita Mavis Lewis. He was stationed in different parts of the UK, so his wife Rita moved and lived nearby with the families of servicemen so that she could be near him. She spent time in Ashford, Kent and Dinas Powys, Wales.
Colin was posted to North Africa in January 1943 and later posted to Italy, Austria, the Middle East, and Greece. He was Mentioned in Dispatches, as reported in the London Gazette on 19th of July 1945. This award was for driving his truck of much-needed ammunition to the front whilst under very heavy enemy fire. He had been part of an earlier convey but his vehicle had broken down and it had taken him some time to make repairs. On being able to get going, he elected to continue to the scene of action instead of returning to base. His arrival was extremely fortunate as the troops were running short of ammunition.
He was demobbed in June 1946 and transferred to the Army Reserve, to be later called for duty and training with No. 324 RASC in 1952. In civilian life Colin was, for a great many years, a long-distance lorry driver. Rita and he had a son in 1943 and a daughter in 1946. He lived with his family at Darley Dale until his death in 1983, and he very rarely spoke about his wartime experiences.
