MANTON, Alfred Ernest
| Service Numbers: | 472, 472A |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 1st Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Newtown, New South Wales, Australia, 12 November 1895 |
| Home Town: | Randwick, Randwick, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Randwick Public, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Tramway Clerk |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 5 May 1917, aged 21 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, Picardie, France |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board, Loftus Sydney Tramways Depot Honor Roll, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial (Australian National Memorial - France) |
World War 1 Service
| 9 Nov 1915: | Involvement 472, 30th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '16' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Beltana embarkation_ship_number: A72 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 9 Nov 1915: | Embarked 472, 30th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Beltana, Sydney | |
| 5 May 1917: | Involvement Private, 472A, 1st Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 472A awm_unit: 1 Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1917-05-05 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by John Oakes
Alfred Ernest MANTON was born at Newtown in Sydney on 12th November 1895. His parents were Alfred F and Mary Elizabeth Manton, who lived at Randwick, NSW, and he went to Randwick Public School. On 4th January 1912 he joined the NSW Government Railways and Tramways as an office lad in the Tramways Traffic Branch in Sydney. On 4th April 1912 he resigned from this job. However, on 6th February 1913 he re-joined as a junior clerk in the Tramways Traffic Branch in Sydney and this time he stayed. On 12th November 1916, his 21st birthday, his position was upgraded to that of clerk, with a pay rise from £110 per year to £145 per year. However, well before that, on 26th June 1915, he was released from duty to join the Expeditionary Forces.
Alfred joined the AIF on 25th June 1915 with the rank of Private (Service Number 472, later amended to 472A) and was posted to the 30th Infantry Battalion. He nominated his father as his next of kin. On his Application for Enrolment for Active Service, he stated he had been a member of the 21st Infantry Battalion, Militia, for 5½ years, and was a Bugler and Acting Bandmaster. In the Roll of Honour Circular for him, his father indicated he was recognised as one of the champion buglers in NSW. His talent was recognised by the AIF as one of the cards in his military record has the annotation ‘Bug’ after his service number.
Alfred embarked for Egypt aboard HMAT ‘Beltana’ at Sydney on 9th November 1915 and disembarked at Suez on 11th December 1915. On 8th February 1916 he was transferred to the 1st Infantry Battalion at Tel-el-Kebir and on 22nd March 1916 he embarked at Alexandria, with the Battalion, for France and the Western Front.
On 27 November 1916 he was at the end of a period of leave in London, and on 12th January 1917 he was charged with an act to the prejudice of good order and Military Discipline in that he was caught playing an illegal game of ‘Crown and Anchor’. For this he was punished 14 days Field Punishment No. 2.
Between 5th and 8th May 1917, he was killed in action at Bullecourt in France.
As the site of his grave is unknown, he is commemorated at the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, Picardie, France. His place of association is Randwick, Sydney, NSW. In the Roll of Honour Circular for him, his father indicated he was one of two brothers killed in action in WW I, the other being John Edward Manton, who enlisted in August 1914.
- based on the Australian War Memorial Honour Roll and notes for the Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board.