William Robert Collings

Born: 24 October 1885

Died: 14 September 1914

Rank and Regiment: Private 6943 in the 1st Battalion of the Norfolk Regiment

Resting Place: body unrecovered

Memorial: St. Peter and St. Paul, Wramplingham, United Kingdom and; La Ferte-Sous-Jouarre Memorial in France

William was born in Guiltcross, South Norfolk, on 3 October 1885 and was baptised at Kenninghall on 24 October 1885. He was the son of William Robert Collings and Hannah Maria (nee Burlingham). Hannah appears to have died of complications of pregnancy for she was buried at Kenninghall on 28 October 1885.

William Collings senior and his family (he had by that time remarried) had moved to Stone Cottage, Wramplingham by the time of the 1911 Census.

William enlisted in the 1st Battalion, the Norfolk Regiment “D” Company on 29 June 1904. He was 5 ft 3¼ in tall and weighed 132 lb (9 st 6 lb). He had hazel eyes and dark brown hair. When he left to go into the reserve in June 1911 his character was described as “exemplary” – he had gained two Good Conduct medals – and he was described as “Thoroughly honest, sober and trustworthy” as he went into the employment of the Post Office. He had a tattoo on his left forearm of clasped hands and a heart across the sea, of which more in a moment.

As a reservist and a trained soldier, William was of course immediately called to the colours on the outbreak of war in August 1914. The 1st Battalion crossed to France with the British Expeditionary Force in early August 1914 and William was killed in action in September 1914, aged 30.

William has no known grave. He is believed to have died on 14 September 1914. He is commemorated on the La Ferte-sous-Jouarre Memorial, Seine et Marne, France. La Ferte-sous-Jouarre is a small town, 40 miles east of Paris, which was the main area of operations for the British during the First Battle of the Marne in September 1914 and the memorial commemorates nearly 4,000 officers and men of the British Expeditionary Force who died in August, September and the early part of November 1914 and who have no known grave.

In November 1915, William’s father received his son’s effects amounting to £4 13s. He received a further War Gratuity of £5 in 1919.

There is a desperately sad letter in his military records dated 10 February 1916 from Agnes Collings pleading for news of him – he was not officially declared presumed dead until October 1916 – and saying “I was engaged to be married to him”. Hence, no doubt, the tattoo. Interestingly, William and Agnes were double first cousins: William’s mother Hannah Burlingham and Agnes’ father Robert Burlingham were brother and sister, as were William’s father William Collings and Agnes’ mother Elizabeth Collings (as she was). It appears that unlike all too many young women at that time, Agnes did find someone else; she married Arthur Anderson in 1922.

William is commemorated on the Wramplingham War Memorial.

La Ferte-Sous-Jouarre Memorial, France