John Stanhope Collings-Wells Military person

Lieutenant-Colonel John Stanhope Collings-Wells VC DSO (19 July 1880 – 27 March 1918) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. He was educated at Uppingham School.Born in Manchester on 19 July 1880 to Arthur & Caroline Mary, Collings-Wells moved to Marple to live with his cousin, Will Buck, enabling him to run his father's business in Manchester.Collings-Wells enlisted in the Hertfordshire Militia, and was commissioned into the Bedfordshire Regiment on 14 March 1904. He was made lieutenant in September 1904 and captain in January 1907. When war broke out, he travelled to France with his Regiment on 22 August 1914. In the winter of 1914-15, he was wounded and invalided home. He returned to the front lines in July 1916, with the rank of Major, in command of a company. He was promoted to acting Lieutenant-Colonel in October 1916.Collings-Wells was awarded the Distinguished Service Order in 1917 for his command of a battalion, which captured and held the northern outskirts of Gavrelle on 23 April 1917. Further, on 29 April he commanded a composite battalion, attacked and captured the Oppy line. He was also Mentioned in despatches in November 1917.

Personal facts

John Stanhope Collings-Wells
Birth dateJuly 19, 1880
Birth place
Manchester , Lancashire
Date of deathMarch 27, 1918
Place of death
Albert Somme
Resting place
Albert Somme

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Military person

award
Victoria Cross
Distinguished Service Order
military operations
World War I
military branch
British Army
military unit
Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment
service start1904
service end1918

John Stanhope Collings-Wells on Wikipedia

External resources

  1. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=9725888