Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of John Robert Collins a railway carter, born 1864 in West Haddon, Northants., and his wife Fanny, born 1865 in Northamptonshire. Edward James was born in 1895 in Little Bowden, Northants., his siblings were, Fanny Jane Ada, born 1891 and Herbert, born 1893, both his siblings were born in Little Bowden, Northants., in March 1901 the family home was at 3, Bellfields, Little Bowden, Northants. In April 1911 Edward was employed as a solicitors office clerk and was residing in the family home at 24, Bellfield Street, Little Bowden, Northants., together with his father now a London and North Western and Midland Railway drayman and his sister Fanny, now a domestic housemaid. The War Diary for the 18th December recorded that the Battalion had entered the trenches at Wieltje taking over from 2nd Bn. Sherwood Foresters (2nd Bn. Durham Light Infantry on right at Potijze, 9th Bn. Norfolk Regiment on our left. There was a gap of 150 yards on our right between us and the Durham Light Infantry, this belonged to the 18th Infantry Brigade who were responsible for patrols) Distribution A Coy B9 (right firing line). B Coy B 10 (left firing line). C Coy (support line) S.10.A. D Coy (support line) S.9.A. 2 Platoons. D Coy Canal bank 2 Platoons. 6 Machine gun positions and 8 Bomb posts. The entry for today read as follows:- Heavy shelling all day with varying intensity, all kinds of shells being used. Our transport somehow got up and dumped rations, but was almost caught on the dump. All roads were shelled with great severity. Casualties 6 killed (shells), 7 wounded, 1 died gas poisoning, 16 suffering from gas poisoning, 5 missing still. 2nd Lt. S. C. Lawrence slightly wounded, Lt. D. V. Webb and Capt. R. H. Gillespie were also badly gassed but did not go to hospital.
Shelling continued all night 20th/21st till almost 7.00am when wind changed and went round to “SAFE”