 john collins vc, dcm (10 september 1880&nbsp;â 3 september 1951) was a 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. born in west hatch, somerset, his family moved to merthyr tydfil, south wales when he was 10 years old. he enlisted in the royal horse artillery in 1895 and served in south africa during the boer war and was one of the first troops to enter ladysmith with the relief column. he also saw service in india. although his war records were destroyed during the london blitz of 1940 it is likely that he left the army in 1907, when he worked as a collier at the bedlinog colliery. he enlisted in the newly formed welsh horse in 1915 and the regiment was sent to gallipoli (it had been converted to an infantry regiment) and carried out mining and sapping duties in the area around hill 60. they were evacuated to egypt as part of the last british troops to leave the peninsula. the welsh horse provided part of the garrison in the libyan desert until january 1917 when they were merged with the 1/1 montgomeryshire yeomanry and then formed the 25th battalion, the royal welch fusiliers, british army.{{cite web|title=victoria crosses are held by the royal welch fusiliers museum|url=http://www.victoriacross.org.uk/ccwelchf.htm|publisher=the royal welch fusiliers museum|acce
1880_births 1951_deaths British_Army_personnel_of_World_War_I British_Army_recipients_of_the_Victoria_Cross British_World_War_I_recipients_of_the_Victoria_Cross People_from_Taunton_Deane_(district) Recipients_of_the_Distinguished_Conduct_Medal Recipients_of_the_Military_Medal Royal_Welch_Fusiliers_soldiers