| Newton Henry Collins was the only son of Dr James V and Harriet Collins. Newton was born in Laghey in 1889. The village of Laghy lies just south of Donegal town.
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| The 1901 census lists Newton as age 11 living with the family in house 7 in Laghy, Donegal.
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| Family: James V Collins, Harriett Collins, Newton H Collins (born about 1889), Gladys H Collins 7 (born about 1894).
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| Doctor James Collins stayed only a short time in Laghy.
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| He was educated at Mountjoy School in Dublin and subsequently taught in Cookstown, County Tyrone, as an assistant at Cookstown Academy where he was described as extremely popular with the teachers and pupils.
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| Lieutenant Collins was a fine cricketer and had played in Dublin for the Leinster and Civil Service Clubs. He joined the Irish Guards, subsequently obtaining his Commission in the Inniskillings.
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| He received his commission with the Inniskilling Fusiliers in March 1915 and was for a time stationed in Londonderry before being posted to recruiting officer with the 5th Inniskillings at Magherafelt.
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| Second Lieutenant Collins served with the 7thBattalion of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers and had been only a few days at the front when he was killed in action on the morning of 27th April 1916 during the Battle of Hulluch, which also claimed the lives of Private John O’Neill and Private William Wilson.
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| From the Mid Ulster Mail dated Saturday 13th May 1916:
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| Second Lieutenant N H Collins, who has just been killed in action at the front, was the only son of Dr and Mrs Collins of Laghey, County Donegal. He was born in 1889 at Laghey, and was educated at Mountjoy School, Dublin. Subsequently he was for a time assistant in Cookstown Academy and very popular with the boys and ever welcome in Cookstown. He received his commission in the Inniskillings in March 1915 and prior to going overseas was stationed for a time in Londonderry. Recently he was in charge of the recruiting party which made Magherafelt their headquarters.
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| From Irish Life – Our Heroes dated 9th June 1916:
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| Second Lieutenant N.H. Collins, Inniskilling Fusiliers, who has been killed in action in France, was a son of Dr. Collins, Laghey. Lieut. Collins was a fine cricketer and had played in Dublin for the Leinster and Civil Service Clubs. He joined the Irish Guards, subsequently obtaining his Commission in the Inniskillings, and had been only a few days at the front when he fell in action.
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| From the Mid Ulster Mail dated Saturday 17th June 1916:
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| The ‘Irish Life’ for 9th June contains another supplement giving portraits of ‘Our Heroes’ – Irish officers and men who have gained distinctions or fallen at the front. Our readers will be interested in the following, of whom portraits and biographies are given in this order:- Lieutenant N H Collins, late of Cookstown Academy (killed)
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| Second Lieutenant Newton Henry Collins is buried in Philosophe British Military Cemetery, Mazingarbe, France.
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| The cemetery was started in August 1915. In 1916 it was taken over by the 16th (Irish) Division, who held the Loos Salient at the time, and many of their dead are buried here.
After the Armistice, many isolated graves from the Battle of Loos were brought here including 41 men of the 9th Black Watch. There are a total of 1,996 Commonwealth burials here, 277 of these can not be identified.
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| A plaque was erected in Laghy church in his memory.
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