Cecil William Collings was born in Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire on Thursday, 9th June 1898 and baptised on Sunday, 28th August in the same year. He was the third son and fourth child born to Charles John Collings and Florence Lilian Lovett who had six children together. They were: Clement Charles, Winifred May, Walter Frederick, Cecil William, Edward George and the youngest Victor Edgar. His father Charles worked as a "Storekeeper" in an engineering works, possibly the Boxmoor Ironworks or with Cranstone’s, but sadly he died in 1911 when Cecil was only twelve-years-old. His brother Walter died at Watford in November 1916 following a long illness.

On the outbreak of war, Cecil was too young to enlist, however in June 1915 when he had reached his seventeenth birthday, he joined the Colours. Undoubtedly, in his keenness to join the fighting, he falsified his age and was accepted into the Hertfordshire Regiment and posted for basic training. It is not known when he went overseas, but when he did, he was posted to the 7th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment (The "Shiney Seventh"). The Battalion war diaries recorded a draft of some forty-nine men arriving on the 12th and 13th June 1916 and the timing suggests that Cecil may have been amongst this group. If so, he arrived just in time to fight in the Battle of Albert, the opening engagement of the Somme offensive on the 1st July 1916. This was followed soon afterwards by the Battle of Bazentin and by the end of July, almost 300 men had be killed, were missing or wounded, around a third of the Battalion’s fighting strength.

Throughout 1917 the 7th Battalion Bedfordshires was heavily engaged, beginning with Operations on the Ancre in February, the Third Battle of the Scarpe in May and finally, the horror of Passchendaele in October. Casualties from these actions were heavy and by the end of the year, the unit was engaged in re-building its strength and training new drafts, in preparation for operations in 1918. By March the following year, Cecil had moved back to France with his comrades, and was preparing for the next significant action in the Somme sector. The Battle of Quentin started on the 21st March and at its conclusion, six days later, the Battalion had incurred 269 casualties, just over a quarter of its fighting strength.

One month later, Cecil’s luck finally ran out at Villers-Bretonneux. This action involved intensive fighting and the battalion came under heavy machine gun fire and fierce enemy opposition. Despite this, the War Diaries recorded the resilience and gallantry of the 7th Bedfords and its success in capturing over 200 prisoners, whilst inflicting heavy casualties on the defending Germans. This effort did not come cheaply however, and once again there were many casualties suffered by the "Shiney Seventh". Over twenty-four hours of fighting, 198 men were recorded killed, missing or wounded.

Cecil was listed as wounded on the first day of the action and despite medical attention, succumbed to his injuries shortly afterwards.

He died on Wednesday, 24th April 1918 having fought through two hard years of war.

Cecil is Remembered with Honour on the Pozieres Memorial, Somme, France on Panel 28 and 29. (He is presently recorded on Panel 89 and 90 however his name will be moved to Panel 28 and 29 as and when it is next replaced).

He was only 19 years old when he died.

Cecil was entitled to the British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal.