Lives of the First World War

Source information

ID: 903759

Reference: WO372/4

Title: Medal Index Card

Description: Medal index cards were created by the Army Medal Office towards the end of the First World War. They record the medals that men and women who served in the First World War were entitled to claim.

UPP: GBM/MCI/0904612

Credit: © The National Archives

Source information

ID: 8863775

Name: http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=freebmdbirth&h=38731371&ti=5538&indiv=try&gss=pt

Title: Registration of birth in June 1897

Description: Registration of birth

Connected by: Janet112012

URL: http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=freebmdbirth&h=38731371&ti=5538&indiv=try&gss=pt
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Additional: Register of the birth of Henry Collins, June 1897

Source information

ID: 9556513

Title: Date of death

Description: Screenshot of registration of death in the district of Havering, London.

Connected by: Janet112012

Additional: Document found on ancestry site. Anecdotal evidence from his eldest son Henry Bernard that he registered the death in 1968. My grandfather died of lung cancer at the age of 71 in hospital. The family experienced great difficulty in getting him admitted. I last saw him just before he was taken to hospital. He was in a bed in the front downstairs room where there was an open fire. He let me poke the fire. I was about 7 at the time. I said I would keep it burning for him. The last words he said to me was 'dont forget'. When his daughter Kathleen got married she asked that we place her bouquet on his grave. He is buried in a catholic cemetary which is covered by green chippings and has a white headstone. It is very similar to all the others.

Source information

ID: 9556539

Title: Marriage to Anne Desmond

Description: This is the registration document of Henry's marriage to Anne Desmond. It was located on ancestry website.

Connected by: Janet112012

Additional: My grandparents were married in a catholic church. They had known each other from childhood and had lived in the same street according to census details and anedotal recollection by their eldest son. They had four children. Eileen who died in infancy from pneumonia complications. Henry Bernard known as Bernie, Terrance known as Terry and Kathleen known as Kath.

Source information

ID: 9556652

Title: Enlistment documentation

Description: This is the signed attestation of Henry Collins bearing his signature. It shows that he joined the south Staffordshire regiment, 2nd company and started active service in September 1916. It details his age, address and occupation.

Connected by: Janet112012

Additional: His address was 22 Sherbutt Street, Poplar, London. He is 19 year old and employed as boiler scale. He was not willing to vaccinated. There is a page 2 giving further details.

Source information

ID: 9556686

Title: Page 2 of enlistment document

Description: This document gives his measurements and confirms his age. It shows his parents names and address. It details some military history including injury to his hand and the award of service medals.

Connected by: Janet112012

Additional: Anedotal evidence from Henry Bernard Collins was that his father was wounded three times. He had shrapnel in his stomach, he was bayoneted in the leg and he lost the top part of his left middle finger from a gun shot wound. The latter injury is confirmed in this document as being received on 22 August 1918.

Source information

ID: 9556743

Title: Henry Collins likeness

Description: Photo taken in northern France.

Connected by: Janet112012

Source information

ID: 9556752

Title: History from enlistment to posting

Description: Gives dates of when enlisted, placed into reserve, when mobilised and initial posting to 2nd south staffordshire regiment when he was sent to northern France.

Connected by: Janet112012

Additional: Document found on ancestry.

Source information

ID: 9556766

Title: Register of birth

Description: Register shows Henry Collins was born in 1897

Connected by: Janet112012

Additional: Document found on ancestry site.

Source information

ID: 9593245

Title: 1901 census

Description: Census document. Found on ancestry site.

Connected by: Janet112012

Additional: The names of Henrys siblings were confirmed by his son Henry Bernard Collins. He knew his aunts and uncles personally. This document shows the were living at 19 Duff Street, Poplar when Henry was 4.

Source information

ID: 9593298

Title: 1911 census

Description: 1911 census document found on the ancestry site.

Connected by: Janet112012

Additional: Family members names were confirmed by Henry Bernard Collins, son of Henry Collins who knew his uncles and aunts personally.

Source information

ID: 9593350

Title: 1939 census

Description: 1939 census document found on ancestry

Connected by: Janet112012

Additional: Verbal confirmation by Henry Bernard Collins that his father continued to work at the hospital during the war. The family evacuated to Lamberhurst, Kent and would be visited by Henry.

Source information

ID: 9646296

Title: Probate

Description: Probate registration document found on ancestry site.

Connected by: Janet112012

Additional: Henry Collins grand daughter Janet Fox nee Collins confirms that she visited him at his home address noted on this document on the day of his hospital admission. This was within days of his death.

Source information

ID: 9646963

Title: Regimental conduct offence

Description: Document detailing guilty verdict of a regimental offence while on duty in northern France. Found on ancestry site.

Connected by: Janet112012

Additional: Name and rank confirm link to Henry Collins

Source information

ID: 9647143

Title: Protection certificate and certificate of identity

Description: Gives details of dispersal and discharge from the army.

Connected by: Janet112012

Additional: Document found on ancestry. Gives name and number and confirms address of 22 Sophia Street, Poplar, London.

Source information

ID: 9647342

Title: Record of military history of injuries and medals

Description: Military document found on ancestry detailing when home from France and last injury received.

Connected by: Janet112012

Source information

ID: 9647514

Title: Military medals

Description: Document detailing the medals awarded

Connected by: Janet112012

Additional: Name and number link document to Henry

Source information

ID: 9650988

Title: Regimental diary

Description: South Staffordshire regimental diary found on ancestry site.

Connected by: Janet112012

Additional: Documentation shows Henry was posted to France 24 February 1917. This is evidence showing his regiments activity.

Source information

ID: 9651822

Title: Henry's war medals

Description: Picture of replica medals awarded to Henry placed on a cenotaph exactly 100 years after the first world war ended.. The victory and the British war medals.

Connected by: Janet112012

Additional: Replica medals inscription around the edge were taken from the original medals in the possession of Henry Bernard Collins.

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