Joseph Henry Collin
Second Lieutenant, 1st/4th Battalion. The King's Own (Royal Lancaster) Regiment
- Register No.
- 232 (Alf's numbering, from The Register of the Victoria Cross, 1997)
- Rank
- Second Lieutenant all Second Lieutenants →
- Unit
- 1st/4th Battalion. The King's Own (Royal Lancaster) Regiment (register: King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment)) all King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment) VCs →
- Date of action
- 9 April 1918 on this day → all of 1918 →
- Conflict / campaign
- First World War
- London Gazette
- 28th June 1918 on this day → all of 1918 →
- Born
- 11th April 1893 at Jarrow, County Durham
- Died
- 9th April 1918 at Givenchy, France.(Died on of wounds)
- Award
- Posthumous all posthumous VCs →
- Memorial / grave
- Vielle-Chapelle New Military Cemetery, France and also the Priory, Lancaster
Digest of citation
On 9th April 1918 at Givenchy, French, after offering a gallant resistance against heavy odds in the Keep held by his platoon, Second Lieutenant Collin, with only five of these men remaining, slowly withdrew, contesting every inch of ground. Single-handed, he then attacked a machine gun --- after firing his revolver into the enemy, he seized a Mills grenade and threw it into the hostile gun team, putting the gun out of action, killing four of the team and wounding two others. He then took a Lewis gun and engaged a second hostile machine gun, keeping the enemy at bay until he was mortally wounded
From Alf Askin's research notes
Reproduced as Alf wrote it, c. 2000–2005. Spelling and abbreviations are his own.
COLLIN, Joseph Henry. (reg No. 232).
Second Lieutenant 1st/4th Battalion. The King's Own (Royal Lancaster) Regiment.
London Gazetted on 28th June 1918.
Born on 11th April 1893 at Jarrow, County Durham.
Died on 9th April 1918 at Givenchy, France.(Died on of wounds).
Memorials at Vielle-Chapelle New Military Cemetery, France and also the Priory, Lancaster.
Digest of Citation reads: On 9th April 1918 at Givenchy, French, after offering a gallant resistance against heavy odds in the Keep held by his platoon, Second Lieutenant Collin, with only five of these men remaining, slowly withdrew, contesting every inch of ground. Single-handed, he then attacked a machine gun --- after firing his revolver into the enemy, he seized a Mills grenade and threw it into the hostile gun team, putting the gun out of action, killing four of the team and wounding two others. He then took a Lewis gun and engaged a second hostile machine gun, keeping the enemy at bay until he was mortally wounded.
Visit the grave or memorial
Alf recorded the memorial as: Vielle-Chapelle New Military Cemetery, France and also the Priory, Lancaster
Map links open a search for the place name Alf recorded; please check opening times and exact locations before travelling. Many VC graves have since been restored by the Victoria Cross Trust.
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