War Medals

2026911 CORPORAL JOHN HENRY COLLINS, 6TH. LOYAL REGIMENT & RECONNAISSANCE BATTALION

General Service Medal 1918, GVIR. bar, 'Palestine' (2026911 Pte. Loyal R.); 1939-45 Star; Pacific Star; Defence Medal; War Medal 1939-45 (All unnamed as issued) : (JOHN HENRY COLLINS - Born 11 June 1911 at Liverpool an Electric Welder by trade when he enlisted in the Royal Engineers on 5 January 1932,. Served in Palestine with 6th.Battalion. Loyal Regiment but subsequently transferred to 5th.Battalion, a battalion which was later converted for reconnaissance duties in the 18th. (East Anglian) Infantry Division and renamed 18th. Reconnaissance Battalion. Nicknamed "The Recce Corps" whose motto was "Only The Enemy In Front". The Battalion was posted to Singapore aboard the liner 'Empress of Asia' which on 5 February 1942 was sunk by Japanese dive-bombers. The battalion lost most of its equipment and the survivors came ashore with nothing but the clothes they were wearing. At Singapore the Battalion was supplied with new armoured carriers and on 11 February 1942 took part in an attack by 'Tomforce', a combined British and Australian force, on the Bukit Timah Road. Several of the carriers were put out of action by Japanese tanks and by the evening the Battalion had withdrawn to its original starting position. On 15 February 1942 the Singapore Garrison capitulated and the recipient became a prisoner of war and was firstly held in Changi Prison. He was later transferred to Haito Camp and then Tainoku, in Formosa from 29 August 1942, and was to remain in captivity until the Japanese surrender. He was discharged from the Army in 1948 and returned to live at Speke, Liverpool, where he died in September 1981 at the age of 70 years.) : Sold with verification, copy POW Information Document; copy Japanese POW Card and other related research NEF - £495 (*See also the group to:- BERTIE ALBERT DAVIS, 4796850 Sergeant, killed in action with 18th. Reconnaissance Battalion, shown on Page 8 'Pairs & Groups' Section of this Website*.)