Frederick Bisset COLLINS

Frederick Collins was born on 25 February 1881 in Richmond, Victoria. His parents were Thomas and Ann Jane Oceana (née Nicolson) Collins. He attended Scotch from 1895 to 1897. Fred was a member of the Firsts in cricket in 1896 and 1897. He was in the Cadets at Scotch for a year.

Fred was an AMP insurance clerk when he enlisted on 20 August 1915 in Melbourne, Victoria. He served in the 24th Battalion and 21st Battalion with the final rank of Lieutenant. His Regimental Number was 4386.

Frederick died on 4 October 1917 at Broodseinde, Belgium. He was 36 years of age.

Service record

At the war’s outset, Fred was married with two children. He was also an outstanding cricketer who had represented Victoria. In his debut, aged barely 17, he had with his right arm fast medium bowling taken the wickets of six Australian Test players. Between 1899 and 1909 (when injury forced his retirement) he played 37 first-class matches for Victoria, taking 146 wickets at an average of 26.1. In June 1915 Fred’s cousin, Gunner William Collins of the 4th Field Artillery Brigade, died of wounds received in action on Gallipoli. Fred and William were close, and it is believed this death made Fred determined to enlist in the AIF.

Fred enlisted at age 34. He was tall, at 6 feet 1 inch (185 cm). He was with the 22nd Depot Battalion at Broadmeadows for 6 months before being allocated, with the rank of Acting Sergeant, to reinforcements for the 24th Battalion in March 1916. He left England for France on 10 September 1916, and on arrival at Etaples was first reverted to Private then promoted back to Acting Sergeant, before being taken on strength of the 24th Battalion there on 21 September. When he did so, he was reverted to the rank of Private, as was usual. Sixteen days later he was promoted again, to Corporal. On 18 October 1916 he was transferred to the 21st Battalion. There he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant and made a platoon commander. On 5 February he was promoted to full Lieutenant.

Through no fault of his own he injured a bone in his hand on 10 April while on trench duty. This took him to hospital and convalescence for more than a month: he returned to his unit in late May 1917. He was sent to England, ‘on duty’, in mid-June, and stayed for more than three months. He was back with the 21st Battalion in France on 22 September 1917. Less than two weeks later, on 4 October, Fred was killed in action in Belgium.

He was initially reported to have been buried in the Warlencourt New British Cemetery, near Bapaume in France, but when it was realised that he was killed at Ypres, 55 miles away, he was recategorised as missing and his name commemorated on the Menin Gate. It appears that somehow another body was discovered near Bapaume with an identity disc bearing Fred’s name (see letter below).

Fred Collins has no known grave but is commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Belgium.

Photographs and Documents:

Frederick Collins is in the middle of the back row, from the 1916 Collegian.

Letter to Frederick’s brother concerning the location of his burial.

Sources:

1. Australian War Memorial – Roll of Honour and PAFU2015/051.01 ‘The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (4386) Lieutenant Frederick Bisset Collins, 21st Battalion, AIF, First World War’
2. Cricket Archives Website - http://cricketarchive.com/Players/15/15878/15878.html
3. Mishura Scotch Database
4. National Archives of Australia – B2455, COLLINS F B
5. Scotch Collegian 1916 and 1917
6. The AIF Project - https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=58468