John Collingwood Angus was born in England at North Shields, Northumberland and was educated at a Wesleyan boarding school. He worked as a cabin boy on a steamer before migrating to Australia at the age of 18. He worked as a farm labourer near the townships of Pingelly and Narrogin in Western Australia before enlisting in the Australian Imperial Force on 10 March 1915.

Angus was assigned to the 28th Infantry Battalion and departed Fremantle aboard HMAT Ascanius on 29 June 1915. He was admitted to a Gallipoli field hospital on 24 November 1915 before being transferred to Malta. He re-joined his unit on the Western Front. He was seriously wounded on 4 June 1916 and died two days later. John Angus is buried at Camiara Road Cemetery near Étaples, France.