COLLINS, Ernest Milton
| Service Number: | 33 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 29 November 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 51st Infantry Battalion (WW1) |
| Born: | Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia, 26 November 1893 |
| Home Town: | Brisbane, Brisbane, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Sugar worker |
| Died: | Died of wounds, France, 17 September 1918, aged 24 years |
| Cemetery: |
La Chapelette British and Indian Cemetery, Peronne Plot III, Row C, Grave No. 3 "WE WILL REMEMBER HIM DAD & MUM" |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Enoggera Shire Council Roll of Honour WW1 |
World War 1 Service
| 29 Nov 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 33, 14th Light Horse Regiment | |
|---|---|---|
| 13 May 1916: | Involvement Private, 33, 14th Light Horse Regiment, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '3' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Beltana embarkation_ship_number: A72 public_note: '' | |
| 13 May 1916: | Embarked Private, 33, 14th Light Horse Regiment, HMAT Beltana, Sydney | |
| 7 Sep 1916: | Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 52nd Infantry Battalion | |
| 6 Aug 1918: | Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 51st Infantry Battalion (WW1), Due to disbandment 52nd Bn |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Stephen Brooks
Ernest Milton Collins left Australia with his younger brother, Roy Harold Collins, both of them enlisting in the 14th Light Horse Regiment. On arrival in France, they were quickly transferred to the 52nd Battalion.
Ernest suffered a gunshot wound to the thigh during the heavy fighting around Dernancourt on 5 April 1918. When fit he transferred to the 51st Battalion as the 52nd had been disbanded to strengthen other units.
Ernest was wounded in action near Peronne on 15 September 1918, and died of a gunshot wound to the neck two days later.
A younger brother, 1526 Pte. Lionel Collins 25th Battalion AIF, was killed in action at Pozieres, 29 July 1916, aged 20. The youngest brother, 36 Pte. Roy Harold Collins 52nd Battalion returned to Australia in 1919.
They were the sons of George and Eliza Collins, all born in Wagga Wagga NSW. The family was living in Woolloongabba, Queensland, during the war.