Richard Percy (Percival) Collins 1895~1917

 

Richard Percy (Percival) Collins was born at the Black Range in 1895 the youngest of the eight children who had been born to Samuel & Emily Collins nee Day.

 

Like most of the young men whose names appear on these pages, nothing of note concerning their early life is known with any degree of certainty apart from the fact that Percy did attend the Lavington Public School under the tutelage of Mr. Henry Hague.

 

We have, however, been able to discover that Percy, as he was more commonly known, was working as a farm labourer for a Mr Anderson of Burrumbuttock. At a farewell social function, given in his honour and organised by the Soldiers Reception Committee of Lavington on Tuesday evening October 31 1916, Percy was presented with a pair of military brushes, a gift jointly given by Councilor Jelbart and the committee. Another even more generous gift of a wrist watch was handed to Percy by his employer, Mr Anderson.

 

What is known with greater certainty is, that like so many other of the brave young lads from the Black Range/Lavington district he answered his country's call to arms and had enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (3rd Battalion, 13-23 Reinforcements) on October 26 1916.

 

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The following details have been taken from the Australian War Memorial Embarkation Rolls:

 

Collins: Richard Percy (Percival)

 

• Service No: 6976

 

• Rank: Private

 

• Unit: 3rd Battalion 13-23 Reinforcements (Dec.1915-Nov.1916) 1st Brigade, 1st Divison AIF

 

• Embarkation Date: 9th November 1916

 

• Name of Ship: HMAT Benalla (11118 tons, speed 14 knots, owned by P & O SN Co London, Ship No: A24)

 

• Place of Embarkation: Sydney

 

• Date of Enlistment: 26th October 1916

 

• Age: 21 years & 8 months

 

• Occupation: Farmer

 

• Religion: Church of England

 

• Next of Kin: Mrs Emily Collins (mother)

 

• Marital Status: Single

 

• Medals & Honours: None for display

 

• Fate: KIA 21 September 1917

 

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 The 23rd Reinforcements had more than it's fair share of boys who were born in the areas including Jindera; Lavington; Albury; Thurgoona; and Howlong, and included those born in the likes of Henty; Deniliquin; Gerogery; & Woomargarma. I feel sure that all these boys would have found it comforting to know that so many of their comrades were “locals“.

 

Although not related, Richard Collins & Wal Livermore would have been very well acquainted for their families were entwined in a strange sort of way.

 

Richard's eldest brother, Francis William Collins, had married Louisa Fugger. Louisa's brother William had married Wal's aunty, Harriet Livermore. Richard's second eldest brother, Arthur Samuel Collins and his wife Lucy had produced Stanley Gordon Collins and he had married Gladys Irene Romero who was the daughter of Charlotte Adelaide Romero nee Livermore. Charlotte was Wal's sister!

 

This remarkable coincidence does not end there.

 

Richard's service and activity in England, France, and Belguim would be a mirror image of Wal Livermore's with just the one exception! He stayed out of trouble! According to Richard's B.108 form he did not go AWL nor did he disobey any standing orders. This is not to say that Richard was a "goody-two-shoes" - it just suggests that he didn't get caught. Like all healthy country boys I'm sure there would have been some "mischief" in him somewhere ...

 

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Although the eye witness statements located on the Red Cross Wounded and Missing archives are a little inconclusive and don't always agree with Richard's service record (see Richard's gallery for reports), which states that he had received multiple gun shot wounds in France, I'm positive that Richard was in Belguim at the time and was wounded at the intersection of Clampham Junction & Menin Road near Polygon Wood on the 20th September 1917 the  same place and day that Wal Livermore had died.

 

The Battle of the Menin Road Ridge had begun on Thursday September 20 1917 and had lasted until Tuesday September 25 1917. This was part of the 3rd Battle of Ypers or "Passchendaele".

 

Moreover, the Red Cross Wounded and Missing reports also indicate that Wal was killed at or near Polygon Wood (see witness statement from Pte. # 234 P. Walton in Richard's gallery). A section of the Map of Battle distinctly shows “Polygone de Zonnebeke“ in the top right hand corner (see Richard's gallery).

 

Richard is also remembered at panel # 35 in the Commemorative Area of the Australian War Memorial

 

Pte. # 6976 Richard Percy (Percival) Collins died of those gun shot wounds the following day 21st September 1917 at the 3rd Canadian Casualty Clearing Station in Belguim. He is buried in the Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, Poperinge, Ypres Salient Battlefields, Belguim (Plot # 23; Row B; Grave # 10). 

 

They went with songs to the battle, they were young.

Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.

They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,

They fell with their faces to the foe.

 

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning,

We will remember them.

 

They mingle not with their laughing comrades again;

They sit no more at familiar tables of home;

They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;

They sleep beyond England's foam

 

Excerpt from the poem "For The Fallen"

by Robert Laurence Binyon CH 1869~1943