Captain David Colville

Captain David Colville, 4th ( Territorial ) Battalion, Kings Own Scottish Borderers. He died of wounds from a sniper’s bullet in Holland on 18th February 1945, aged 25. He had been born in Glasgow and was the son of David and Elizabeth Colville of Chapel-on-Leader, Earlston and is buried in Jonkerbos War Cemetery, Nijmegen, Holland.  He had been educated at Eton and was a member of the O.T.C.. From there he was commissioned into the 4th K.O.S.B. in November 1938 and was thus one of the Battalion’s original war time Officers.  The Battalion had landed on the Continent in October 1944 and he had led his troops in the fighting for Walcheren  in late 1944. He was wounded in the “C” Company attack on Kasteel Blijenbeek, a German stronghold which cost the Company 40 casualties. The position was finally eliminated by rocket firing Hawker Typhoons. His Headstone is inscribed ” To His Gay & Gallant Spirit. A Happiness Which Once Had Been Imperishable “. The photographs show the Borderers in 1945.

Scroll to Top