John Collins was born on 26 July 1894, the son of Frederick and Betsy Collins. In 1901 they were living at 26 Sutherland Place, Wolverhampton, together with John’s siblings Mary Ann, Frederick, Rosina, Noah and Albert. They were living at 3 Portland Place, Wolverhampton, in 1911, and John had additional siblings William and Sarah. John was working as a screwer. John later became a drayman at Old Wolverhampton Breweries.

He enlisted with the 1/5th Battalion of the South Staffordshire Regiment in 1916 (initially number 5395, later number 241831) and became Lance Corporal, and later Acting Corporal. In September 1917 he was awarded the Military Medal, which was announced in the London Gazette on 28 January 1918, and in the Express & Star a day later. Later the same year, he was awarded a bar to his Military Medal, as the Express & Star proudly proclaimed on 15 June 1918. This was added

for great bravery. He saw two wounded men on the other side of a canal to which he was, and although warned he was risking his life to cross the bridge, because of a destructive fire, he rushed to the aid of the men, and commenced to attend to their wounds. With assistance the two men, one of whom was wounded severely, were got away, but according to the record it was entirely due to Collins’s great bravery and disregard for his own personal safety that their lives were saved.

John survived the war. In August 1919, he was discharged from service, when his address was given as 3 Portland Place, Wolverhampton. By 1939, he was living in the home of Joseph and Clara Webb at 83 Beacon Street, Wolverhampton, still working as a drayman for a brewery. John died in Wolverhampton in 1954.