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Auction: 26002 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 222

The scarce M.S.M. group of four awarded to Brigade Sergeant Major H. Collins, Royal Artillery, who was wounded by the explosion of a French Magazine at Sebastopol and later became a pillar of the Lancashire Volunteer Artillery

Crimea 1854-56, 2 clasps, Inkermann, Sebastopol (Sejt. G. Collins. RA.), regimentally impressed naming; Army L.S. & G.C., V.R. (1053 Serjt Major Henry Collins 7th R.A.); Meritorious Service Medal, E.VII.R. (Bde:Sjt:Maj: J. H. Collins. R.A.); Turkish Crimea, Sardinian issue (Serjt. H. Collins. R.A.), regimentally impressed naming, mounted court style as worn, the first with heavy polishing and contact wear, good fine, the rest with light contact wear, very fine (4)

M.S.M. AO 10, January 1903.

Henry Collins was born at Axminster, Devon in August 1827, the son of James and Sarah Collins of Pursbook Street, Axminster. Attested with the Royal Artillery at Woolwich on 17 February 1848, he was posted to the 2nd Battalion for being transferred to the 12th Battalion.

Advanced Corporal on 19 June 1853 he was serving in that rank when he was posted to Crimea where he served for 18 months. Collins must have done good work as he was advanced Sergeant on 15 February 1855. However, he soon suffered a 'a severe lacerated wound of scalp and slight contused wound of arm during the explosion of the (Magazine aboard) the French siege train in the Crimea on 5 November 1855.'

Posted on to Corfu he saw two years and three months of service there before returning to Britain where his son was born at Aldershot in 1857. Transferring to the 6th Brigade Royal Artillery on 1 May 1859, he was later advanced to the rank of Battery Sergeant-Major on 1 November 1859 before finally reaching the rank of Brigade Sergeant-Major.

Awarded his L.S. & G.C. on 21 December 1864, Collins was discharged on 29 March 1870 and joined the Permanent Staff of the Lancashire Volunteer Artillery. Settling at 19 Low Hill, West Derby, he appears there in the 1871 census and continued to serve with the Volunteer Artillery before moving to Liverpool. He served as Financial Secretary to the 1st Lancashire Garrison on Artillery Volunteers after retiring from the permanent staff. He later died on 30 March 1907 at Liverpool.

His obituary appeared in the Liverpool Courier on 2 April 1907, which states:

'DEATH OF A CRIMEAN VETERAN.

The small band of Crimean veterans in Liverpool and district has been still further reduced by the death of Mr. H. Collins, who will be buried with military honours at Anfield Cemetery this afternoon. Mr. Collins, who was in his 81st year, was taken ill on Sunday week, and passed away on Friday night at his residence, 40, Saxony-road. He joined the Royal Artillery in the early forties and served right through the Crimean war, being very severely wounded. He was a brigade sergeant-major in the Royal regiment. In 1870 he joined the 1st Lancashire Royal Garrison. Artillery Volunteers as regimental sergeant-major, which rank he held until 1885, when he became financial secretary to the corps, the duties of which position he performed up to his death. Mr. Collins was a grand old veteran, and his death will be regretted not only by the members of the corps, but by everyone with whom he came in contact. The artillerymen will attend the funeral. They will parade at 2 15, and proceed to Saxony-road, whence they will escort the cortege to Anfield Cemetery, where the interment will take place at four o'clock.'

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Estimate
£800 to £1,000

Starting price
£600