Looking for information on Robert Edward Colby

[rvandjc]

Robert Edward Colby b. 5 April 1871  Believed to have lived in Vancouver in 1918 and buried there. Born in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England. Believed to have served in the Navy and visited the UK in 1944. Possible alias George Slater but used original name when back in the UK.
Any help would be appreciated as an elderly Aunt (94) requested some information which I am unable to provide. She believes she met him when he came over in 1944.
Thanks
Robert

[rosie99]

Burial though date of birth a year out
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FLLG-QBG
(image does not open)

[CaroleW]

Any help would be appreciated as an elderly Aunt (94) requested some information which I am unable to provide. She believes she met him when he came over in 1944.

If he died in 1938 your aunt could not have met him in England in 1944??

[dbree]

Hi,

Canadian WW1 service file for Robert Edward Colby aka George Slater served with the
No. 2 Tunnel Co. He attested Dec. 8, 1915 in Calgary, Alberta.
His service file can be seen here, it is very slow to load, 71 pages
http://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.item/?op=pdf&app=CEF&id=B1845-S034

DB

[rvandjc]

Thanks all, what a lovely quick response.
It points out some errors in my Aunts original recall that you have highlighted. R E Colby died before 1944 and he was in the Army and not the Navy, so maybe this is not the person she met. She was only about 10 at the time they met and so could have been mistaken. Cheers and thanks once again,
Robert

[CaroleW]

Possible alias George Slater but used original name when back in the UK.

That's not the type of info a 10yr old would know so it must have come from elsewhere - particularly as it's shown to be correct in the reply above

[CaroleW]

Reply removed - wrong info

[CaroleW]

I notice you have amended your tree to show his birth year as 1872 as per the burial.  However - it's incorrect

Births June qtr  1871
COLBY    Robert Edward    Yarmouth    4b   19 mmn Allen  (parents married 1869)

[jorose]

Scanning through his army file, an address is given for him in Vallejo, California post the war (see around page 10 onwards).

Some of the details are off but this might be him in the census in 1920:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MH45-KPX

http://www.rootschat.com/links/01n5y/
 - his will is recorded in Vancouver, it appears to be the basic military will he made during WWI and leaves all his "possessions and back pay" to Mrs Robert Colby of Great Yarmouth (mother?). Presumably he had never gotten around to updating it.