John Ollis Mullins died of accidental injuries on this day in 1915

John Ollis Mullins was born in Croydon, London 6 March 1892.

His parents were Edwin Roscoe Mullins (sculptor) and Alice (née Felton) of West Heath Avenue, Hampstead.

At the 1901 Census, John, age 9, was living at 24 Greville Road, Hampstead, with his parents, three siblings (older brothers Geoffrey and Claude, and sister Ida), a boarder (a sculptor student) and two domestic servants.

9 January 1907, after ten years of ill-health, John’s father died. He is known by his most famous sculpture of Cain.

John was educated at University College School, London.

At the 1911 Census, John is living at home with his mother, siblings and two servants (cook and housemaid) at Shirley, West Heath, Hampstead. Older brother Claud, was working for the London Municipal Council. Geoffrey was apprenticed to an architect while John was a pupil articled to Chartered Accountants. Older sister Ida did not work.

John must have tired of accountancy. He was gazetted before the war, 2 April 1913 and, the following year, just after the outbreak of war, he was attached to 6th Middlesex on 9 August 1914. Six months later, he transferred to the Royal Flying Corps. He was dead within two months. On Monday, 29 March 1915, he was fatally injured in an aeroplane accident while undergoing instruction in a Maurice-Farman Shorthorn at Upavon. The coroner’s report stated that he had fractured the base of his skull and had never regained consciousness. The view is that while trying to execute a turn the plane banked too steeply and not having enough speed it literally fell out of the sky.

He died in Tidworth Hospital. He was 23 years of age. His instructor Sub-Lieutenant Perry fractured his collarbone and survived.

John is buried in Hendon Cemetery and Crematorium.

2nd Lieut. John Ollis Mullins, 6th (Reserve) Bn Middlesex Regt. Attached to the Royal Flying Corps.