Private Joseph William “Joe” Colp was born May 21st, 1919, in Colpton to Charles and Gladys (nee Heim) Colp.  He had 13 siblings; Harris, William, Simeon, Ernest, Norman, Walter, Frances, Beatrice, Bessie, Gertrude, Jean, Bertha, and Lillian.  Joe attended the United Church of Canada and worked on the farm and in forestry.  Joe stood 5 feet 10 ½ inches tall (179 cm), weighed 145 pounds (66 kg), and had blue eyes and dark brown hair.

 

      Joe Colp enlisted in the 2nd Battalion of the West Nova Scotia Regiment on November 21st, 1940, as an Infantryman Private.  Private Colp was given Regimental number F/86669 and proceeded to 6 Depot in Halifax for Basic and specialty training. On March 1st, 1942, he embarked with the regiment en route to the United Kingdom.  The West Nova Scotia Regiment spent the next year in England as a garrison force, awaiting orders to deploy to the European mainland.

 

      On August 24th, 1943, Private Colp landed in Sicily with his regiment to support the offensive that had begun in mid-July.  The regiment continued to the Italian mainland on September 3rd, 1943, as part of the 1st Canadian Infantry Division; the first Allied soldiers to invade the continent of Europe.  Progress through southern Italy was rapid, but by the end of October, the Allies were facing the German defensive position known as the Gustav Line.  Private Joe Colp perished on November 18th, 1943 in San Pietro, Italy as the Allies pushed to break through the Gustav Line to capture Rome. He was 24 years old.

 

      Private Joe Colp’s mother, Gladys received a telegram on November 30th, 1943 advising of his death, which was followed by a letter on December 3rd, affirming that he was killed in “action against the enemy”, and avowing that “We pay tribute to the sacrifice that he so bravely made”.

Private Colp bequeathed his estate to his mother Gladys.  Gladys Colp was awarded the Memorial Cross Medal (also known as the Silver Cross) and received Private Colp’s Medals; the 1939-45 Star, Italy Star, Defence Medal, Canadian Volunteer Service Medal (with Clasp), and the War Medal 1939-45.

 

      Private Joe Colp was initially interred at a temporary cemetery near San Pietro, Italy.  He was disinterred and then reburied on August 15th, 1944, in Plot 5, Row H, Grave 11 of the Moro River Canadian War Cemetery, and his headstone bears the inscription "THE LORD IS THY KEEPER, THE LORD IS THY SHADE UPON THY RIGHT HAND" PSALM 121.5.  The cemetery contains the graves of those who died during the fighting at Moro River and Ortona.  Today, there are 1,615 graves in the cemetery, of which 1,375 are Canadian.

 

      Private Colp is also memorialized on his parents’ headstone in Lake View Cemetery in Pleasant River.  His family held a Memorial Service in the United Church in Pleasant River on November 28th, 1943, and a newspaper article noted that “The late Private Colp has two brothers and one sister in the armed forces and they were present at the memorial service”.  Private Colp is commemorated with a plaque in the Pleasant River United Church. 

 

      Private Joseph William Colp is commemorated on page 147 of the World War Two Book of Remembrance.  He is also listed on the Caledonia Cenotaph.

 

 

 

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Online References

War Grave Search – https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2204179/joseph-william-colp/

Local Grave Search - https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/218367612/joseph-william-colp

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56517312/joseph-william-colp

Canadian Virtual War Memorial - https://www.veterans.gc.ca/en/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/2204179?Joseph%20William%20Colp

Second World War Personnel Records Database (file download size 12.0 Meg) - https://recherche-collection-search.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/Home/Record?app=kia&IdNumber=6896&ecopy=42127_83024005506_0602-00347