Trafford

Born at Manchester in 1884.

1891 Census - Shepherds Cottages, Dunham Town, Dunham Massey.    Cousin -
aged: 6 - Scholar - born: Manchester.   Head of household - James Bagnall
and his wife - Martha - aged: 38 & 36 respectively, plus their 5
daughters.

1901 Census - 52 Moss Lane, Altrincham.   Cousin - aged: 16 - occ: Gardener
Domestic - born: Manchester.    Head of household - James Bagnall and his
wife - Martha - aged: 46 & 49 respectively, plus their 4 daughters.

Married Alice Conlan during the December quarter 1907 in the Bucklow R.D. -
ref: 8a/374.

1911 Census - 148 Stamford Park Road, Hale.    Head - Married - aged: 27 -
occ: Town Postman - born: Manchester.   Also - Alice Collins - Wife - aged:
27 - born: Altrincham.   Plus their one year old son - James Bernard
Collins.

An Altrincham Postman for 6 years, then for the last couple of years he
worked the Baguley round on a bicycle.

His widow received two letters - one form Corporal Wilkins of the RAMC the
person that had tended to him and another from the Chaplain Rev. C.M.
Chavasse.    They stated that he had been shot in the head (presume by a
sniper) on the 1st February and that although the doctors operated on him
as soon as he was brought in to the N0. 6 C.C.S.*, he died at 3.30 am on
the 3rd without having regained consciousness.

He was buried on the 4th "in the little cemetery of this place*, in a
special spot reserved for soldiers fallen in the war.    A wooden cross
marks the exact grave and on it in metal is his name and Regiment".

*The No. 6 Casualty Clearing Station was sited at Merville from September
1914 until the 09/08/1915.  Almost all of the burials at Merville Comm. Cem
were from those who died at this and three other C.C.S. situated there.

Earlier last week (beginning of February) a fellow Postman had received a
letter from him to the effect that he was well and that the 1st February
was to be his last day in the trenches as they were going to be releived.  
The letter also referred to the fact, that at night, they had to beware of
snipers and to keep their heads down.

Another letter from him to another Postman, thanked him for the Christmas
collection made for those at the front and for the cigarettes that they had
sent to him.

The Altrincham RoH and the local newspaper both list him as J. Collins,
whereas the CWGC & SDGW list him as Tom Collins.

Left a widow and one child.

Listed in the Guardian Year Book - Roll of Honour for 1916.