Walter James MANSER

Walter James MANSER Update Details

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S8691

MANSER, Walter James

Service Number:	119
Enlisted:	29 June 1915, at Adelaide
Last Rank:	Private
Last Unit:	43rd Infantry Battalion
Born:	Port Pirie, South Australia, March 1896
Home Town:	Port Pirie, Port Pirie City and Dists, South Australia
Schooling:	Not yet discovered
Occupation:	Greaser
Memorials:	Gawler Baptist Church WW1 Honour Roll, Gawler Council Gawler Men Who Answered the Call WW1 Roll of Honor, Port Pirie Fathers of Sailors and Soldiers Association Port Pirie District Roll of Honor WW1

World War 1 Service

29 Jun 1915:	Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 119, 43rd Infantry Battalion, at Adelaide
9 Jun 1916:	Involvement Private, 119, 43rd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '18' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Afric embarkation_ship_number: A19 public_note: ''
9 Jun 1916:	Embarked Private, 119, 43rd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Afric, Adelaide
26 May 1918:	Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 119, 43rd Infantry Battalion, German Spring Offensive 1918, Gassed

Help us honour Walter James Manser's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.

Biography contributed by Saint Ignatius' College

Before the war

Walter James Manser was born in approximately March 1896. He was born in Port Pirie West, South Australia. Before the war Manser worked as a greaser. Greasers were also called oilers and they oiled machinery to make them function better. Manser was unmarried and had no children prior to the war. He had a fresh complexion with grey eyes and brown hair. He stood at 5 foot 6 and a half inches or 169 centimetres tall. Manser weighed 126 pounds or 57 kilograms. His mother was Mrs. Bessie Manser; she was also his next of kin. His father is unknown, and he had no siblings.

Life during the war

Manser enlisted in Adelaide on the 29th of July in 1915. He was enlisted at the age of 19 years and 4 months. He embarked for overseas service on 9th June 1916. On the 15th of November in 1916 James proceeded overseas from England to fight in the war going on in France. He travelled from Southampton. While fighting in this war he got gassed (on 26th May 1918) and was sent to the Thorpe hospital for a few months. He re-joined the 43rd battalion on the 3rd November 1918 fully recovered ready to fight, but by that stage the war was nearly over.

The 43rd battalion

The 43rd battalion is from Adelaide to contribute to the strength of Australia’s war service. The battalion was formed in June and was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel John Farrell. The battalion went to Britain for further training and arrived in the Western Front in December of 1916. During 1917 the battalion was bogged in a bloody trench warfare. The battalion was part of many wars during 1918. James was a part of the Somme valley fighting and was gassed. In 1919 James returned to Australia with the battalion the date of this is unknown.

After the war

James returned to Australia on the 20th of May 1919. No details are known of his later life. Manser Walter James received the British War medal, and the victory medal.

Bibliography

https://www.google.com/search?q=anzac+spirit&oq=anzac+spirit&aqs=chrome.0.0l6j69i60l2.2232j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

https://vwma.org.au/explore/units/64

https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/U51483

https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1339186

https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/PL1656

https://www.awm.gov.au/visit/exhibitions/dawn/spirit

https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/awm-media/collection/RCDIG1067798/large/5376001.JPG

https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1938452?image=1

https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/DetailsReports/ItemDetail.aspx?Barcode=8214730&isAv=N

https://www.google.com/search?q=43rd+battalion&newwindow=1&safe=strict&sxsrf=ALeKk01GW0GV_U3KDfBsdB1djKgKQNxoxw:1616963763922&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj__oy269PvAhWxyDgGHYOGDiUQ_AUoAnoECAEQBA&biw=1920&bih=947#imgrc=E7vv6Blr85MXqM

https://www.naa.gov.au/

https://www.awm.gov.au/learn/memorial-boxes/1/object-list/victory-medal

https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/DetailsReports/ItemDetail.aspx?Barcode=8214730&isAv=N

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