COLLINS, Arthur Marcus Stanley (1888-1970)Born 26 November 1888, the eldest son of a pastoralist, Marcus Edward Collins (1859-1935) and his wife Helen Marjoribanks nee Ramage. When he was enrolled his entry address was given as 30 Virginia Street, Newtown.
His father was educated at Geelong Grammar School and acquired the Union Woollen Mill. This business eventually became Collins Bros Pty Ltd, (Woollen Mills) and managed by his two sons, Arthur and Basil. It was one of the larger businesses in Geelong. Arthur was educated at Geelong College and, according to the Grammar record, Kyneton Grammar School. He was enrolled at Geelong College as a day student in 1900. He was at College until at least 1903 as he is listed in the Annual Report prize lists as being awarded 1st in Writing in the Junior College Preparatory School in 1901 and 1st in Euclid in the 3rd Class in 1903.
Before the war he was in the Voluntary Cadets for 2 years and Senior Cadets for 1 year and obtained the rank of Lieutenant. He also was Superintendant of the Geelong Ambulance Corps.
Arthur enlisted (201) as a Private, in the AIF on 17 May 1915, and embarked for Egypt. On 31 October 1915 he embarked on
HS Aeneas from Suez to Melbourne as a Nursing Orderly. He re-embarked for England, serving at the Australian Medical Corps Training Depot at Tidworth in April 1917, then Parkhouse, and embarked for France, arriving there on 17 October. He served at the 3rd Australian General Hospital. At Abbeville on the Somme he met his future wife, Emilie Lucienne Corbillon, they were married in France in 1921. He took leave to England in September 1918 and, after the signing of the Armistice, he was discharged from the AIF in order to take a course of study at Leeds University, resulting in a Diploma in Textile Industries being awarded in July 1921, as reported in
Pegasus of December that year. Arthur and Emilie had three children, John Marcus Arthur Collins, born in 1925, Marcus Arthur Collins, born in 1927, and Yvonne Jeanne Collins.
His cousin, Sapper
Erskine Gilbert Colins MM (1893-1917) also an Old Geelong Collegian was awarded the Military Medal. He was subsequently wounded at Corduroy Road-Birr Cross Road, Westhoek, and died as a result of those wounds on 1 October 1917 at Menin Road Dressing Station. He was buried at Menin Road South Cemetery, Ypres - Grave II.I.24.
Arthur Collins died in 1970.
His brother,
Basil Noel Marcus Collins (1891-1946) also attended Geelong College.
Sources: Based on an edited extract from Geelong Collegians at the Great War compiled by James Affleck; p 158 (citing Pegasus; Justin J Corfield and Michael Collins Persse, Geelong Grammarians: A Biographical Register Volume One 1855-1913 p259; National Archives).