Henry Collins

A Skipper with H.M. Drifter Spotless Prince, Henry died on 26th of October 1916 at the age of 29. 

Henry was born at Kirkley on 28 September 1889, a son of James and Mary Collins. In 1891 his family lived at 20 Grosvenor Road. By 1901 Henry’s father had died and his family were resident at the Lothingland Union Workhouse. 

In 1909 Henry married Violet Eva Cook at Lowestoft. By 1914 they were living at 82 Alexandra Road and later Violet lived at 114 Worthing Road.

Henry was awarded his certificate of competency as a skipper in 1913. 

Henry joined the Royal Naval Reserve on 10 August 1914 and served as Second Hand with the trawler Eager. On 27 January 1915 Henry was promoted to Skipper and took charge of the drifter Spotless Prince. In February 1915 Henry’s naval kit was lost in transit from Lowestoft to Dover and had to be replaced by Messrs. Alston Ltd. of Dover.  

In 1916 the Spotless Prince was part of a fleet of trawlers that maintained the anti-submarine barrage across the Dover Strait. On the night of 26-27 October 1916 German destroyers attacked the barrage with the intent of causing maximum damage to the trawlers. The trawler was sunk and all ten of the crew, including Henry, were killed.   

For details of the attack on the Dover Barrage see: The German attack on the 'Dover Barrage' 26th/27th October 1916 (sussexhistoryforum.co.uk)