B&S. Lieut HKR NVR. Andrew Behan has researched this man:
Lieutenant John Baxter Colls was born in 1910 in Woking, Surrey, a twin son of Arthur Colls and Nellie Alice Fanny Colls née Terry. His twin brother was Richard Hugh Colls and they had an elder brother and sister. Both he and his twin were baptised on 11 February 1911 at Christ Church, Jubilee Square, Woking and the baptismal records show his father as a Civil Engineer and the family residing at 1 York Road, Woking. However, according to the census taken on 2 April 1911 his father was a Secretary to Public Companies, Railway and Commercial. This census shows both John and Richard Colls were aged 8 months on this date and the family still resided at 1 York Road, Woking. Electoral registers show that from at least 1926 the family lived at Ranavie, St George's Avenue, Weybridge, Surrey.
On 2 November 1935 he left Liverpool on board the SS Sarpedon of the Blue Funnel Line bound for Shanghai, China and his occupation was shown as a clerk. He enlisted with the rank of Probationary Cadet in the Hong Kong Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve on 7th February 1939. He became a Sub-Lieutenant on 2 October 1940 and was posted to HMS Tamar, the naval base ship in Hong Kong. As a Lieutenant he was in command of Motor Torpedo Boat, MTB12, which was one of the eight MTB's that formed the 2nd Motor Torpedo Boat Flotilla and was killed in action, aged 31 years, on 19 December 1941, when his boat was sunk whilst attacking Japanese forces that had invaded Hong Kong.
As he has no known grave he is commemorated on Panel 96, Column 3, of the Plymouth Naval Memorial, The Hoe, Plymouth, Devon. The plaque at Swire House, 59 Buckingham Gate, London, SW1 shows he was employed by Butterfield & Swire. However, the British Colonial Office Register of Deaths states that he was employed by Jardine Matheson & Co. Ltd. Probate was eventually granted to his father on 21 January 1947 and his effects in England totalled £440-15s-0d.
In the photo Colls is the man on the left. The Picture source gives more information about his death.
