George Collins

Corporal George Collins – South Lancashire Regiment, 9^th Battalion

Early Life

Nathaniel Collins and Sarah Lewis
marriage certificate
St. David’s Church, Carmarthen

George Collins was born in Swansea in 1894, the eldest son of Nathaniel Collins and Sarah Lewis, who had married in 1892 at St. David’s Church, Carmarthen.

1901 Census

At the time of the 1901 Census, the family was living at 14 Roseland Terrace, Sketty. Nathaniel, 29, a house plasterer, and Sarah, also 29, were raising their three children: George (7), Florence (5), and James (2).

1911 Census

By the 1911 Census, the road name had changed from Roseland Terrace to Kimberley Road, and the family was recorded at 8 Kimberley Road, Sketty. Nathaniel, now 39, remained a plasterer, while Sarah was 38. Their children were George (17), working as a rider in a colliery, Florence (15), a domestic servant, James (13), Ernest (9), and Stanley (7).

Kimberley Road and the South African War

The renaming of Roseland Terrace to Kimberley Road reflected a patriotic tradition in the early 20th century of commemorating British victories in the South African War (1899–1902), also known as the Second Boer War. The Siege of Kimberley, lasting from October 1899 to February 1900, was one of the most celebrated episodes of the war. When the besieged diamond-mining town of Kimberley was finally relieved by British forces, it was hailed across Britain and the Empire as a symbol of resilience and victory. Streets in many towns were renamed in its honour, and Sketty was no exception. Thus, when the Collins family were recorded at Kimberley Road in 1911, the address itself carried echoes of an earlier conflict that stirred strong patriotic feeling in Swansea.

Military Service

When the First World War broke out, George enlisted in the South Lancashire Regiment, 9^th Battalion, and rose to the rank of Corporal. The battalion formed part of the 66^th Brigade, 22^nd Division, which was deployed to the Salonika Front in northern Greece.

Life on this front was gruelling. Soldiers contended not only with trench warfare but also with extreme weather, mountainous terrain, and widespread disease — particularly malaria, which claimed almost as many casualties as enemy action.

On 18^th September 1918, the 9^th South Lancashire Regiment took part in the opening attack of the Battle of Doiran, one of the final Allied offensives in the Balkans. Advancing with the rest of the 66th Brigade and supported by Greek troops, the battalion initially overran sections of the Bulgarian front line. But the Bulgarians, entrenched in strong defensive positions overlooking Lake Doiran, responded with devastating artillery and machine-gun fire. In the counterattacks that followed, the South Lancashires and their comrades were driven back, suffering heavy losses. In some units of the brigade, casualties reached as high as 65% of those engaged. Despite the bravery shown, the Bulgarian lines held firm. It was amid this desperate struggle that Corporal George Collins was killed in action.

Death

Corporal George Collins fell on 18^th September 1918, during the bitter fighting at Doiran. He was just 24 years old, dying only weeks before the armistice in the Balkans was signed.

Burial

George Collins
Doiran Memorial, Greece
credit - findagrave

As George’s body was never recovered, he has no known grave. His name is commemorated on the Doiran Memorial in Greece, which records nearly 2,000 officers and men who died in the Salonika campaign and have no known resting place.

Legacy

Corporal George Collins is remembered as one of the young men of Sketty who gave their lives in the Great War. His name is inscribed on the St. Paul’s Church war memorial, ensuring his sacrifice is honoured in his community. Though he died far from Swansea, in the rugged hills of Macedonia, his story endures both at home and abroad, where his name is carved into the Doiran Memorial among his comrades of the Salonika campaign.