Leslie James Collins

A Leading Seaman with H.M.S. Penzance, Leslie died on 24th of August 1940 at the age of 30. 

Leslie was born at Lowestoft on 16 December 1911, a son of William and Elizabeth Collins. In 1921 his family lived at 54 Clemence Street. 

On 31 October 1936 Leslie married Dorothy Bethune Lake at Saint Margaret's Church, Lowestoft. Leslie was an Able Seaman on H.M.S. Lupin and Dorothy a shop assistant living at 72 Rotterdam Road. Dorothy died in 1937.

In 1938 Leslie married Eva Doris Sharp and in 1939 Eva lived at 48 Oxford Road. 

Leslie was working as an errand boy when he joined the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class on 9 March 1927. 

During World War Two Leslie served on H.M.S. Penzance. On 15 August 1940 the Penzance left Sydney, Nova Scotia, as the armed escort for convoy SC1. On 24 August the Penzance was torpedoes around 700 miles couth-west of Iceland. The ship was split in two by the explosion and some of the ship's depth charges also exploded. Leslie was one of 89 crew who were killed in the loss of the ship and one man died later.