Name
Henry George Collins
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
29/07/1916
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
VILLERS-BRETONNEUX MEMORIAL
France
Headstone Inscription
No Report
UK & Other Memorials
Church of St Nicholas Memorial, Harpenden, Louth War Memorial, Louth, Lincs.
Pre War
Henry George Collins was born in Middlesex, London in 1884 to John Collins & Rebecca (nee Dawson).
On the 1901 Census Henry was clerk working for a Poulterer in Leadenhall Street, London. By 1908 he had emigrated to Australia.
Wartime Service
Henry enlisted in Australian Forces on 7 Sep 1915 at Rockhampton, Queensland as Private 3669 in the 25th Battalion (mainly a Queensland formation) giving his occupation as clerk and address as St Kilda, Sidney Street, Mackay, Queensland.
Henry was promoted to Acting Corporal on 20 Jan 1916. He embarked Alexandria, Egypt on ‘Oriana’ on 21 Mar 1916, arriving in Marseilles 27 Mar 1916. Henry was part of the 8th Reinforcements for 25 Battalion AIF arriving in their lines the Somme on 8 Jun 1916. The 25th took part in the Battle of Pozieres 25 Jul – 7 Aug 1916. He was reported wounded and missing on 29 Jul 1916. This was later confirmed as dying from wounds while a prisoner in German hands.
Additional Information
His sister Dorothy Gwendoline Collins was named as his Next of KIn and for a time lived in Harpenden (1911) working as a Private School Teacher.
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
Jonty Wild,
