Born on 18 January 1934, Colin Shortis was educated at Bedford School.

[1] He enlisted in the British Army in 1951 and received his first commission in the Royal Fusiliers in 1953.

[1] He transferred to the Dorset Regiment in 1953, and served in Hong Kong, the Suez Canal Zone, with the British Army of the Rhine, in Aden, Singapore and British Guiana, between 1953 and 1963.

[1] His last appointment was as General Officer Commanding, North West District in 1986 before retiring 1989.

[4] He was given the colonelcy of the Devonshire and Dorset Regiment in 1984, holding the position until 1990.