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He was aged between 43 and 46 and the son of Joseph and Susannah Union Silva; husband of Rosa Silva, of Myalla, New South Wales.

Deaths Dec 1916   Silva Manuel A 43 Medway 2a 993.

                             INSCRIPTION
             THE PATH OF DUTY LEADS TO GLORY

The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick (OAM) – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland”

Manuel Antony Silva was born at Watson’s Bay, Sydney, New South Wales in 1870 to parents Joseph and Susannah Union Silva (nee Davey).

Susannah Silva, mother of Manuel Antony Silva, died on 17th November, 1888 at Woollahra, New South Wales.

Joseph Silva, father of Manuel Antony Silva, died on 2nd August, 1891 at Batlow, NSW.

Emmanuel Antony Silva married Rosa Sadler in Sydney, NSW in 1892. A birth was registered in 1892 for Harriett Florence Silva in Sydney, NSW, daughter of Emanuel & Rosa Silva.

On 26th September, 1901 Manuel Antony Silva joined NSW GR & T (Government Railways & Trams) as a temporary Labourer in Railways Interlocking Branch in Sydney. He was transferred to the Locomotive Branch as a Cleaner (permanent) at Picton on 23rd May, 1902. Manuel Silva was transferred to Eveleigh on 19th July, 1904 & on 1st October, 1906 he became a fireman based at Wellington. He was transferred on 14th January, 1908 to Bathurst as fireman. He was promoted to Driver on 13th July, 1912 at Bathurst then his official base changed to Penrith.

A death was registered in 1894 in Sydney for Florence H. Silva, daughter of Emanuel & Rosa Silva.

On 14th August, 1915 Manuel Antony Silva enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) as a 45 year old, married, Railway Engine Driver from Mudgee, NSW. Manuel Silva stated on his Attestation Papers that he had previously served in the Naval Artillery Volunteers 8 years ago. He had previously been rejected as unfit for His Majesty’s Service due to medical issues. According to information submitted by his wife, Rosa Silva for the Roll of Honour, Manuel Siva was also trained as a Captain – Harbours & Rivers.

Private Manuel Antony Silva, Service number 9769, embarked from Sydney, New South Wales on SS Makarini on 5th April, 1916.  He was marched in to Base Details at Tel-el-Kebir, Egypt on 4th May, 1916.

He embarked for overseas from Alexandria on 28th May, 1916 on “Corsican”.

On 4th July, 1916 Private Silva was transferred from A.A.M.C. (Australian Army Medical Corps) Details at Tidworth, Wiltshire to Fargo Hospital, Wiltshire.

Private Silva was transferred to Delhi Officers Hospital at Tidworth, Wiltshire on 23rd August, 1916.

He was marched out to Parkhouse Camp, Wiltshire from “20 Con R.A.M.C.” (Royal Army Medical Corps) on 13th October, 1916. Private Silva was detached from Australian Medical Corps on 17th October, 1916 for duty with D.A.A.G’s Branch Administration Headquarters, London. He was attached to Convalescent Home, Cobham from 18th October, 1916 to 28th November, 1916.

On 29th November, 1916 Private Silva was admitted to Fort Pitt Military Hospital, Chatham, Kent, England with a ruptured Gastric Ulcer.

Private Manuel Antony Silva died at 7.20 am on 5th December, 1916 at Fort Pitt Military Hospital, Chatham, Kent, England from a Perforated Gastric Ulcer, General Peritonitis.

He was buried in Fort Pitt Military Cemetery, Rochester, Kent, England – Plot number 1425 and has a Commonwealth War Graves Commission headstone.

(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)

https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/rochester---fort-pitt.html

Manuel Antony SILVA was born on 27th September 1870 at Watsons Bay in Sydney and also went to the public school there. His parents were Joseph and Susanna Silva. According to NSW records of births, deaths and marriages, he married Rosa Sadler in 1892 (the marriage was registered at Sydney in 1892 with his name listed as Emmanuel) and they had a daughter, Harriett, who was born in the same year (her birth was registered at Sydney in 1892 with her father’s name listed as Emanuel and her mother’s name as Rosa).

According to the Roll of Honour circular, (filled in for him by Rosa) towards the end of the 19th Century he was in the maritime industry where he was a Captain (Harbours and Rivers). About this time, he was also in the Naval Artillery Volunteers.

He made a career change on 26th September 1901 when he joined the NSW Government Railways and Tramways as a labourer (temporary) in the Railways Interlocking Branch (signalling) based at Sydney. On 23rd May 1902 he transferred to the Locomotive Branch as a cleaner (permanent) based at Picton. After over two years at Picton he transferred to Eveleigh on 19th July 1904 where he remained graded as a cleaner. He took an increase in grade on 1st October 1906 when he became a fireman based at Wellington. On 14th January 1908 he transferred to become based at Bathurst (as a fireman). He was still based at Bathurst on 13th July 1912 when he was promoted to the grade of driver. He was officially based at Bathurst until 1st July 1915 but was not resident there (the Australian Electoral Roll for 1913 shows he was living at Mudgee). He later transferred to Penrith. On 14th August 1915 he joined the Expeditionary Forces.

When Manuel joined the AIF on 14th August 1915 he was almost 45-years-old. He had previously been rejected as unfit on medical grounds. He was assigned to the 16th Reinforcements to the 1st Field Ambulance with the rank of Private (Service Number 9769). He nominated his wife as his next of kin and he gave their address as being at Mudgee.

He embarked for Egypt aboard HMT ‘Makarini’ at Sydney on 16th April 1916 and arrived in Egypt on 4th May 1916. Just over three weeks later, on 28th May 1916, he embarked at Alexandria for England. On 4th July 1916 he was transferred from the Australian Army Medical Corps at Tidworth to Fargo Military Hospital for unstated reasons. On 23rd August 1916 he is recorded as being back at Tidworth. On 13th October 1916 he left there for Parkhouse Camp. However, on 17th October 1916 he was transferred to the Deputy Assistant Adjutant General’s Branch Administrative Headquarters in London.

On 29th November 1916 he was admitted to the Military Hospital at Fort Pitt, Chatham, where he died of a perforated gastric ulcer, general peritonitis, on 5th December 1916.

Manuel’s grave is in Fort Pitt Military Cemetery, Rochester, Medway, Kent, England. His place of association is Mudgee, NSW.

- based on the Australian War Memorial Honour Roll and notes for the Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board.