Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Six: Private E. J. Collins, Royal Marine Light Infantry

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 1 clasp, Cape Colony (8481 Pte., R.M., H.M.S. Monarch); Naval General Service 1915-62, 1 clasp, Persian Gulf 1909-1914 (8481 Pte., R.M., H.M.S. Alert); 1914-15 Star (CH. 16381 L. Cpl., R.M.L.I.); British War and Victory Medals (CH. 16381 Pte., R.M.L.I.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 1st issue (CH. 12577 Private, R.M.L.I.), generally very fine or better (6) £280-320

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Barrett J. Carr Collection of Boer War Medals.

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58 one-clasp Queen’s South Africa Medals were awarded to the ship’s company of H.M.S. Monarch, around 40 of them for “Cape Colony”.

Edward John Collins was born in Lambeth, London in January 1879 and enlisted in the Royal Marine Light Infantry in March 1897. Initially posted to the Plymouth Division, he served in H.M.S. Monarch from November 1899 to August 1900, during which period that ship was permanently stationed off South Africa - for his own part, Collins was ‘landed on active service against the South African Republic 21 November 1899 to 3 January 1900’ (his service record refers).

Discharged in March 1909, he enrolled in the Royal Marine Reserve, was reinstated to the Chatham Division in the following year and saw further active service in the Alert in the Persian Gulf in February-December 1912. Awarded his L.S. & G.C. Medal in June 1913, Collins served in the cruiser Proserpine from August 1914 to March 1917, and in Cyclops II, the Minesweeper base at Kirkwall, from July 1917 until March 1919, prior to being demobilised in July of the latter year.