| Places | |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | REL/21247.005 |
| Collection type | Heraldry |
| Object type | Medal |
| Physical description | Cupro-nickel |
| Location | Main Bld: World War 2 Gallery: Gallery 1 - Mediterranean: Crete |
| Maker |
Unknown |
| Place made | United Kingdom |
| Date made | c 1946 |
| Conflict |
Second World War, 1939-1945 |
British War Medal 1939-45 : Petty Officer Stoker P A Collins, RAN
Description
British War Medal 1939-45. Impressed around edge with recipient's details.
History / Summary
18665 Percy Albert 'Jumper' Collins was born in Murwillumbah in 1905, and joined the Royal Australian Navy in 1927 as a Stoker Second Class. Prior to the Second World War, he saw service in HMA Ships Canberra, Tattoo, Voyager, Swan, Waterhen and Yarra, and at the outbreak of war was serving as a Petty Officer Stoker in HMAS Adelaide. He was posted to the newly commissioned destroyer Napier in 1940, and remained with this ship for three years, being awarded the Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) in 1942 for his gallantry during the fighting off Crete. Later in 1942, he also received the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, in recognition of his 15 years in the RAN. After a brief period in the Nepal in 1943, Collins moved to the Maitland, and then to the corvette HMAS Strahan, in which he saw out the war, being awarded a bar to his DSM in 1945 for service in the South West Pacific and New Guinea areas of operations. Chief Petty Officer Stoker Collins left the navy in 1946, and died in 1990.