Ernest Stanley Collins, born on 15th April 1888, was admitted to King Edward’s School in September 1898. His family lived at ‘Penryn Lodge’, Kings Norton. His School results in July 1901 show that academically he was among the top half of his class. From the 1911 Census we see that Ernest followed his father, also Ernest, into the brass trade, but while the elder Ernest was a brass founder and factor, the son worked as a commercial traveller.
There is no mention of Ernest’s activities at School, but afterwards he entered the Inns of Court Officer Training Corps. His probate report suggests that at some time he married Kate Frances. He enlisted as a Second Lieutenant in the Royal Worcester Regiment in December 1916. He was killed in action aged twenty-nine on 31st July 1917. His body was never recovered but he is commemorated on the Menin Gate.