MANNING, William John
| Service Number: | 1240 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 4 February 1915, Enlisted at Liverpool, NSW |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 17th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Gulgong, New South Wales, Australia, 15 November 1889 |
| Home Town: | Nerrigundah, Eurobodalla, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Heat apoplexy, At sea (HMAT Themistocles A32)., 2 June 1915, aged 25 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Chatby Memorial, Alexandria, Egypt, |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Chatby Memorial, Alexandria, Egypt |
World War 1 Service
| 4 Feb 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 1240, 17th Infantry Battalion, Enlisted at Liverpool, NSW | |
|---|---|---|
| 12 May 1915: | Involvement Private, 1240, 17th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '12' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Themistocles embarkation_ship_number: A32 public_note: '' | |
| 12 May 1915: | Embarked Private, 1240, 17th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Themistocles, Sydney | |
| 2 Jun 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 1240, 17th Infantry Battalion, Died on board A32 HMAT Themistocles from heat apoplexy. |
Help us honour William John Manning's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Carol Foster
Husband of Ethel Constance Manning of 116 Fitzroy Street, Moore Park, NSW. Father of William James Manning
Medals: British War Medal
Biography contributed by Michael Silver
Extract from The Story of the Seventeenth Battalion A.I.F. ............
"Three days out from Colombo occurred the first death in the Battalion, that of Private William John Manning, D Company, on June 2nd. The Battalion paraded for the funeral service, which in the absence of a Roman Catholic Chaplain was conducted by Captain Murphy. The bier, covered with the Union Jack, was placed near the ships rail on the starboard side of the after well-deck.
The hush that followed the stopping of A32's (HMAT Themistocles) engines was broken by the opening sentences of the solemn office for the dead, on conclusion of which the band played Chopin's 'Funeral March'. The the Union Jack was removed from the bier and Manning's body committed to the sea. A pause, then the staccato words of command: "Firing Party, Volleys - Load!" Three volleys were then fired, after which there rang out the half-triumphant, half-wailing notes of the Last Post, the soldier's call to rest. A few moments of silence then the ship's telegraph clanged "full speed ahead", and as A32 gathered way the troops were dismissed from parade to the tune of a rousing quickstep.
Manning's untimely death occasioned one of those striking displays of spontaneous generosity, which is such an outstanding attribute of the Australian character, and resulted in the raising of £123 for the benefit of his widow. His personal effects realised some fancy prices at auction. Manning had been married [Ethel Constance Motbey (1896-1961) on 11 May 1915 at Liverpool, N.S.W.], the day before the Battalion embarked."
His son, Wiiliam James Manning (1915-1976) was born on Christmas Day 1915.
Source: The Story of the Seventeenth Battalion A.I.F., Lieutenant-Colonel K.W. MacKenzie MC, 1946.
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