General News
24 January, 2026
Henry Edward Collins
Henry Edward Collins was born 1892 Burrumbuttock, New South Wales, 1888, but he was a native of Murtoa.
He was the son of Annie Gerdtry (formerly Collins of Murtoa) and the late William Henry Collins and husband of Emma Theresa Collins of 21 Clyde Street, Surrey Hills, Victoria formerly of Arthur Street, Fairfield, Victoria.
A native of Murtoa Victoria, and known as Harry, and resided at 21, Clyde Street, Surrey Hills, Victoria, Australia.
He was a half-brother to Private Robert Alexander Gerdts.
Harry went to Murtoa State School.
Before Harry enlisted he was a 22 year old farm labourer. Harry was married to Emma Collins and with a four month old baby son Henry August Collins.
Harry enlisted as a private with the 8th Battalion Australian Infantry on the 27th August 1914. The Battalion was the first Victorian Regiment recruited after war was declared.
He had had previous experience in the Citizens Military Forces serving three years with the 73rd Infantry of the Victorian Rangers.
At the age of 23, he joined the Australian Imperial Force. His service number was 767.
At his enlistment he was working at Burrumbullock in NSW but returned to Ballarat to enlist.
He advised on his enlistment that he was single but had in fact married the same year and had a son born in April 1914.
His wife was living with her parents at Murtoa although her address was later given as 21 Clyde St Surrey Hills Vic.
Harry was 5’10” tall, weighed 168 lb and a Roman Catholic.
He left Melbourne on the 19th October 1914 with the first contingent on HMAT Benalla (A24) subsequently leaving Egypt on the 5th April 1915 on board the Clan McGilvarry landing at Gallipoli on the 25th April 1915 as part of the second wave.
On the 6th May the Battalion disembarked at Cape Hellas in support of British troops endeavouring to capture the town of Krithia.
It was during this battle that Private Collins was killed in action on 8th of May 1915 at Krithia, Gallipoli and he has No known grave - "Known Unto God"- Henry is memorialised on panel 52 at the Australian War Memorial Canberra.
He is commemorated at Helles Memorial, Gallipoli Turkey on Panel 203 to 206 or 332, Turkey (including Gallipoli) and the Murtoa Memorial Gates.
The battle resulted in the Brigade losing nearly a third of its strength.
His wife was granted a Pension of £52 per year.
Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal.
The eight month campaign in Gallipoli was fought by Commonwealth and French forces in an attempt to force Turkey out of the war, to relieve the deadlock of the Western Front in France and Belgium, and to open a supply route to Russia through the Dardanelles and the Black Sea.
The Allies landed on the peninsula on 25-26 April 1915; the 29th Division at Cape Helles in the south and the Australian and New Zealand Corps north of Gaba Tepe on the west coast, an area soon known as Anzac.
On 6 August, further landings were made at Suvla, just north of Anzac, and the climax of the campaign came in early August when simultaneous assaults were launched on all three fronts.
However, the difficult terrain and stiff Turkish resistance soon led to the stalemate of trench warfare. From the end of August, no further serious action was fought and the lines remained unchanged. The peninsula was successfully evacuated in December and early January 1916.
The Helles Memorial stands on the tip of the Gallipoli Peninsula.
It takes the form of an obelisk over 30 metres high that can be seen by ships passing through the Dardanelles The Helles Memorial serves the dual function of Commonwealth battle memorial for the whole Gallipoli campaign and place of commemoration for many of those Commonwealth servicemen who died there and have no known grave.
The United Kingdom and Indian forces named on the memorial died in operations throughout the peninsula, the Australians at Helles.
There are also panels for those who were lost at sea, in one of the troopships sunk off Gallipoli. Over 20,000 names are commemorated on this memorial.
There are four other Memorials to the Missing at Gallipoli. The Lone Pine, Hill 60, and Chunuk Bair Memorials commemorate Australian and New Zealanders at Anzac.
The Twelve Tree Copse Memorial commemorates the New Zealanders at Helles.
Naval casualties of the United Kingdom lost or buried at sea are recorded on their respective Memorials at Portsmouth, Plymouth and Chatham, in the United Kingdom.
