Edward Arthur Collins was born in 1916 in Woolwich to James Edward Collins, MBE, (civil servant at the Admiralty Office) and Nora Blanche Collins. He was 11 when the family moved to Leigh-on-Sea in Essex.  He spent most of his leisure hours sailing his 16 foot sloop Lisette on the Thames estuary, and was a member of the Leigh on Sea Yacht Club.

On leaving school Arthur worked for the National Provincial Bank in London, and on 12 Jan 1937 he joined the London Division of the Royal Naval Volunteers.  Three years later in January 1940 he became a Temporary Sub Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve based at Scapa Flow, serving initially as Commanding Officer of the trawler HMS DEO VOLANTE and from June of that year as Temporary Lieutenant in command of the drifter HMS COLDSNAP.  Arthur remained at Scapa Flow until  October 1941, which month he spent in submarine training at the Royal Naval Quarters in Blyth.

Arthur flew from the UK to Alexandria in November 1941, spending nights en route in Ireland, Portugal and Gibraltar.  When he arrived in Alexandria he joined the depot ship HMS MEDWAY, and was probably drafted to HMS TRIUMPH in December 1941 for her last patrol as a familiarisation trip.

He died when the submarine was lost with all hands after apparently striking a mine in the Aegean Sea.  He is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial, Panel 71, Column 1.