John Augustine Collins KBE CB (1899 - 1989)

Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Formative years 1.2 Early naval career 1.3 Second World War 1.4 Latter naval career 1.5 Final voyage and legacy 2 Sources 3 See also

Biography

Formative years

Vice Admiral Sir John Augustine Collins KBE CB was born on 7th January 1899 in Deloraine, Tasmania (Australia). He was the fourth son of Doctor Michael John Collins, a medical practitioner from Ireland, and his English-born wife Esther Copeland. Michael, who had spent many years as a merchant navy doctor, died seven months before John was born.

Educated at Christian Brothers’ College, East Melbourne, John entered the Royal Australian Naval College, Geelong, with the first intake in 1913. The college relocated to Jervis Bay, Federal Capital Territory, in 1915. John graduated in 1916. Promoted Midshipman in January 1917, John was immediately sent to Britain for further training with the Royal Navy (RN), together with fellow graduates and future Admirals, Harold Farncomb and Henry Showers.

Early naval career

His first sea posting was to HMS Canada, a battleship of the Grand Fleet. He was promoted to Sub-Lieutenant in September 1918 and, as The Great War drew to a close, he joined the destroyer HMS Spenser, becoming her gun control officer. After serving aboard the destroyer HMAS Stalwart, during which time he was promoted to Lieutenant (December 1919), he returned to Australia in 1921 to join the cruiser HMAS Melbourne.

In 1922, John went back to Britain to undertake the long gunnery course. He topped his class, winning the Commander Egerton prize, and completed the advanced course before coming home in 1925 to rejoin Melbourne; this time as her gunnery officer. Melbourne soon deployed to the Mediterranean Fleet as part of an exchange program with the RN. On his return to Australia, john was appointed naval liaison officer for the 1927 visit of the Duke and Duchess of York, accompanying the royal party at the opening of Parliament House, Canberra and in their passage in the battle cruiser HMS Renown back to Britain. Whilst in Britain on this occasion, he was promoted to Lieutenant Commander in December 1927 and joined the new heavy cruiser HMAS Australia, then fitting out at Clydebank, Scotland. After serving in her for two years as squadron gunnery officer, he was placed in command of the destroyer leader HMAS Anzac in 1930.

John married Phyllis McLachlan on 3rd June 1930 in St Mark’s Church of England, Darling Point, Sydney. ^[1]

A period of shore postings followed, including as first lieutenant of Flinders Naval Depot, Westernport, Victoria; attendance at the staff course at RN College, Greenwich, England (during which time he was promoted to Commander); and to the Admiralty’s Plans Division. While on leave at Portwrinkle, Cornwall, in 1934, John rescued a girl swept away by a rip. Phyllis assisted by manning an improvised lifeline. The Royal Humane Society, London, awarded John a testimonial on parchment for his actions. In 1935, John was appointed executive officer of the new light cruiser HMAS Sydney, then attached to the Mediterranean Fleet in response to the Abyssinian crisis. Back in Australia aboard Sydney from August 1936, John was promoted to Captain in December 1937, becoming assistant-chief of Naval Staff and director of naval intelligence at Navy Office, Melbourne.

Second World War

John assumed command of HMAS Sydney in November 1939, just after the Second World War commenced, and in May 1940 Sydney once again joined the Mediterranean Fleet. In June-July 1940 Sydney took part in the bombardment of Bardia, Libya, sank the Italian destroyer Espero and fought in the Battle of Calabria. the following month she was integral in the sinking of the Italian cruiser Bartolomeo Colleoni. The Battle of Cape Spada catapulted John and the Sydney into the world’s headlines. Appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in 1940, John became a national hero and was to wear that mantle for the remainder of his life. Sydney returned to her namesake port in February 1941 to a tumultuous welcome.

John took up his next duties as assistant chief of staff to the commander-in-chief, China (based in Singapore) in June 1941, accompanied by his wife and daughter. His immediate task was to plan for the employment of Allied air and naval forces. Having arranged for the evacuation of his family in January 1942, he became Commodore commanding China Force, which consisted of RN and RAN cruisers and destroyers based in Batavia (Jakarta). Exercising his authority within the complex and unwieldy Australian-British-Dutch-American Command, John employed his forces escorting shipping to and from Singapore or assigned them to a Dutch-led striking force. After the surrender of Singapore and the Allied defeat in the Battle of the Java Sea, it was clear to him that Batavia would fall. He organised evacuations of civilians and military personnel to Australia and India and embarked in one of the last departing ships. He was Mentioned in Despatches, equivalent to today's Commendation for Gallantry, and was appointed Commander of the Netherlands’ Order of Oranje-Nassau.

On his arrival in Fremantle, Western Australia in March 1942, John became senior naval officer, Western Australia. Late that year he proceeded to Britain to take command of the heavy cruiser HMAS Shropshire, commissioned in the RAN in April 1943. He took Shropshire to the Pacific theatre, where she joined other RAN ships attached to the United States Seventh Fleet. In May 1944 he was given command of the Australian Squadron. His force took part in the New Guinea and Philippines campaigns and on 21st October at Leyte Gulf his flagship, Australia, was struck on the bridge by a Japanese dive-bomber; during which attack thirty men were killed and John seriously wounded. After convalescence he returned to command the squadron in July 1945 and was the RAN representative for the Japanese surrender on board USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on 2nd September. The US Government appointed him Officer of the Legion of Merit.

Latter naval career

Promoted to Rear Admiral from January 1947, John attended the Imperial Defence College, London, that year. On 24th February 1948 he became the first Australian-trained officer to become Chief of Naval Staff. Whilst he considered himself too young for the post, Prime Minister Ben Chifley was adamant that an Australian should lead the RAN. Promoted to Vice Admiral on 10th May 1950, he was to remain in the appointment for seven years; the long tenure partly as a result of the war losses suffered by his generation of officers. John proved to be a shrewd and capable administrator who enjoyed the respect of the higher echelons of defence and government. He oversaw the introduction of aircraft carriers into the fleet as well as the involvement of the RAN in the Korean War and the Malayan Emergency; instigated co-ordinated strategic and operational planning by the RAN, RN and Royal New Zealand Navy; and followed this success with similar arrangements with the US Navy. Created Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in 1951, he relinquished his post on 23rd February 1955 and retired from the navy on 16th March.

Final voyage and legacy

In 1956 John accepted the appointment of High Commissioner to New Zealand. By virtue of his wife’s New Zealand heritage and his frequent naval visits, he was well acquainted with his host nation. He proved to be a sensitive observer of national affairs and developed an unrestrained love for the natural beauty of New Zealand. In 1957 he also became one of the Australian members of the South Pacific Commission. Upon retiring in 1962 the Collins' s settled at Rose Bay, Sydney, following which he kept in regular contact with his former naval comrades, particularly at the Royal Sydney Golf Club. He published his memoirs, As Luck Would Have It in 1965 and further pursued his hobby of bookbinding. In 1965 Prime Minister Menzies offered him the governor-generalship, but John refused the honour.

Aged 90 years, Sir John passed away on 3rd September 1989 in St Luke's Hospital, Darlinghurst, near the Collins' home. Following a funeral conducted with full naval honours and Anglican rites in St Andrew’s Cathedral, Sydney, he was cremated. ^[2] He was survived by his wife and their daughter.

There are numerous portraits of Sir John Collins, including one by Dennis Adams (1945) and another by (Sir) William Dargie (1958) held by the Australian War Memorial, Canberra. In 1993 Lady Collins launched HMAS Collins, the lead ship of the Collins-class submarines.

Sources

1. ↑ New South Wales Marriage Index #7297/1930; registered at Woollahra
2. ↑ New South Wales Death Index #22112/1989

• [https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/797738 Virtual War Memorial Australia: Sir John Collins.

See also

• Jones, Peter D. 'Collins, Sir John Augustine (1899–1989)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, published first in hardcopy 2007; accessed online 9 Nov 2019.
• Wikipedia: John Augustine Collins.