COLLINS, Douglas
| Service Number: | 3354 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 8 November 1916, Blackboy Hill, Western Australia |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 5th Pioneer Battalion |
| Born: | Penn Fields, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, May 1882 |
| Home Town: | Perth, Western Australia |
| Schooling: | Perth Boys' Public School, Western Australia |
| Occupation: | Nurseryman |
| Died: | Broncho-Pneumonia, Fargo Military Hospital, Wiltshire, England, United Kingdom, 15 March 1917 |
| Cemetery: |
Durrington Cemetery, Wiltshire Durrington Cemetery (Grave No. 222), Wiltshire, Durrington Cemetery, Durrington, Wiltshire, England, United Kingdom |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, East Victoria Park Memorial Wall |
World War 1 Service
| 8 Nov 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 3354, Blackboy Hill, Western Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 23 Dec 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 3354, 7th Pioneer Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '5' embarkation_place: Fremantle embarkation_ship: HMAT Berrima embarkation_ship_number: A35 public_note: '' | |
| 23 Dec 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 3354, 7th Pioneer Battalion, HMAT Berrima, Fremantle | |
| 15 Mar 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 3354, 5th Pioneer Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 3354 awm_unit: 5 Pioneer Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1917-03-15 |
My Great Uncle Douglas
Douglas Collins was born Arthur Douglas Collins in 1882, at Penn Fields, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, England. He was the son of Henry Collins and Caroline Boell.
Henry, Caroline and their children Herbert William, Robert Henry, Sarah Ada, Sidney Guildford and Arthur Douglas arrived in Western Australia on the 'Chollerton' on 25 March 1887. Henry was brought to Western Australia to be (The Right Honourable Sir John) Lord Forrest's gardener. The Collins's and the Forrest's were both living at 620 Hay Street, Perth in 1903 and 1906.
Douglas attended The Old Perth Boys School, located at 139 St Georges Terrace, Perth, Western Australia. It is the earliest government school building in Western Australia.
Douglas was a nurseryman, working with his parents in their vegetable and flower gardens on their property 'Ferndale', Orrong Road, Burswood, Perth, Western Australia.
He enlisted on the 8th November 1916 and joined the 5th Pioneer Battalion aged 33 years and seven months. His unit embarked on board HMAT Berrima on 23 December 1916, arriving at Devonport, England on 16 February 1917.
Douglas was at the Pioneer Training Battalion, Larkhill, Wiltshire when on the 13th March 1917, he was admitted to the Fargo Military Hospital, where he died from bronchial pneumonia two days later.
Douglas was buried in the Durrington Cemetery, Durrington, Wiltshire, England on the 17th March 1917. He was given a full military funeral with band and firing party, mourners and bugler.
There are no surviving photos of Douglas. He is described on his Army records as being 5 feet 7 inches tall, weighing 9 stone 4 lbs, with a dark complexion, grey eyes and dark hair.
I was privileged to be able to visit Douglas's grave in 2007 to pay my respects to this fallen digger. Although he did not see or participate in battle, he is still a hero to me.
Submitted 9 July 2017 by Wendy Bloomfield
Biography contributed by Evan Evans
The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK
Died on this date - 15th March........Private (Arthur) Douglas Collins was born in 1882 at Penn Fields, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, England. He arrived in Western Australia with his family in 1887 as a 5 year old.
Private Collins enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 8th November, 1916 as a 33 year old, single, Nurseryman from Ferndale, Burswood, Western Australia.
Private Collins arrived in England for further training on 16th February, 1917 & was posted to Training Battalion at Larkhill Camp, Wiltshire on 18th February, 1917. He was admitted to Fargo Military Hospital, Wiltshire on 13th March, 1917 from Larkhill Camp – seriously ill with bronchitis.
Private Douglas Collins died of broncho-pneumonia at 8.15 a.m. on 15th March, 1917 at Fargo Military Hospital, Durrington, Wiltshire. He was buried in Durrington Cemetery, Wiltshire where 140 other WW1 Australian Soldiers are buried.
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/a---c1.html
Remembered with Honour
Click images to start slideshow.