Portrait of Commodore J A Collins taken in his office when Naval Officer-in-Charge; Western ...

Portrait of Commodore J A Collins taken in his office when Naval Officer-in-Charge; Western Australia. A graduate of the Naval College who held the post of Assistant Chief of Naval Staff before assuming command of HMAS Sydney. In the course of service in the Mediterranean area, HMAS Sydney and Captain Collins achieved fame by sinking the Italian cruiser Bartolomeo Colleoni before proceeding to the Netherland East Indies where he became Assistant Chief of Staff to Admiral Layton USN and responsible for combined planning operations. Following withdrawal of Allied forces from this area, Collins returned to Australia aboard the corvette HMAS Burnie and subsequently became Naval Officer-in-Charge Western Australia.