COLLEN, Arthur
No. 77697, Private, Arthur James COLLEN
Aged 19
13th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment)
formerly No.63880, 53rd Y.S. Battalion.
Killed in Action on Friday 25th October, 1918
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Born in Exning in Q4-1899 [Newmarket 3b:502], the second son of John and Emma Honour COLLEN (née WARREN), of York Cottages, Exning. The marriage index shows
his father as John Collin 1901 census...at 2 York Cottages, Exning were Arthur Collen[1], his father John [33] carpenter/journeyman, born Soham...his mother Emma [31], born Exning ...brother John [9] born Exning...and sister Alice [8] born Exning 1911 census...at 7 Bradmore Terrace, Landwade Road, Exning were Arthur, his parents, brother Victor [5] born Exning and sister Dorothy [4] born Exning He enlisted in Ipswich. His elder brother John COLLEN had been killed a year earlier. A collector has both brothers' Death Plaque Arthur's entry in "Our Exning Heroes" reads as follows: Collen, A. Royal Fusiliers Arthur James Collen, a younger brother of John Richard, was only nineteen when he gave his life for his country. He enlisted at Christmas, 1917, and went out to France in the following May. He was one of the last of the Exning men to be killed, meeting his death on October 25th, 1918, less than three weeks before the Armistice was signed. His lieutenant writes that he was shot through the head by a sniper and died instantaneously without any pain whatever. He was buried by the Padre of the Hants Regiment at Chauseuis, near Le Quesnoy, in the English Cemetery. Before joining up he had worked for Mr. W.P. King. |
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The 53rd Y.S battalion was a Young Soldier Battalion, they were formed in 1917 from the Training Reserve. The 25th October 1918 was the
last day of the Battle for the Selle, a river just east of Cambrai. The British had advanced about 5 miles, and were rested on the 26th/27th |
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