"The Ribble increased speed and headed for an anchorage further inshore and to the north of the battleships. On board was Lieutenant Ivor Margetts, 12th Battalion, a Hobart schoolteacher......... "
Man the boats....
The landing of the 12th Battalion, 25 April 1915
.....as we neared the peninsular of Gallipoli, the Captain of the Destroyers gave the order for silence and for the men to stop smoking and thus, in darkness and in silence, we were carried towards the land which was to either make or mar the name of Australia. On either side of us we could dimly see other destroyers bearing the rest of the Third Brigade. I am quite sure that very few of us realized that at last we were actually bound for our first baptism of fire, for it seemed as though we were just out on one of our night maneuvers, but very soon realized that it was neither a surprise party nor a moonlight picnic. ........
above image:
This timber lifeboat from the HMT DEVANHA (troopship A3) is at the Australian War Memorial and was used for the FIRST LANDING at Anzac Cove, Gallipoli.
On board was the 12th Battalion, 3rd Infantry Brigade, they landed at 4.10am on 25th April 1915 and George William MANNING - who was part of the 12th Bn 3rd Brigade - was killed soon after landing.
First flag of AIF at Gallipoli restored by
Imperial War Museum
Painstakingly restored ... Specialist textile curator Liz Rose at the Imperial War Museum workshop seen here working on the flag of the AIF's 12th Battalion 3rd Brigade who stormed Gallipoli in 1915.
The above picture: Ella Pellegrini.
Specialist textile curator Liz Rose is painstakingly fixing the flag for display, placing see-through conservation net over tears in the fabric that threaten to pull the flag apart. The process takes several days.
But she says she is careful not to restore it to its former glory. Even the dodgy stitching of an unknown repairer from some time in the past century to patch a hole is being left alone.
“We just want to repair it in parts to preserve and display but its condition is evidence of its history and that is important to maintain,” she said.
12th Australian Infantry Battalion
The 12th Battalion was among the first infantry units raised for the AIF during the First World War. Half of the battalion was recruited in Tasmania, a quarter was recruited in South Australia, and a quarter from Western Australia. With the 9th, 10th and 11th Battalions it formed the 3rd Brigade.
The 12th Battalion was raised within three weeks of the declaration of war in August 1914. They were the covering force for the Anzac landings and so were the first onshore at 4.30am on April 25, 1915. Their commander Lt Col L.F Clarke was killed by a sniper in the first few hours of battle but the battalion fought on and would later contribute two companies to the attack on Lone Pine; the only battalion in the brigade to do so. The battalion heroes were also the last to leave Anzac Cove only to go on to take part in the first major action in France in the Somme valley at Pozieres, then Ypres in Flanders all the way through to the battle of Amiens in August 1918.
Of their Gallipoli campaign, a British officer there at the time wrote: “The Australians were fine. ... They pulled in singing a song, ‘Australia will be there!’ and I could see them scaling the cliffs”.
Within five days of the campaign, over half the men of the 12th battalion would be killed or wounded.
They fought with the motto Ducit Amor Patriae (Love of My Country Leads Me).
above image
The 3rd Brigade was the covering force for the ANZAC landing on 25 April 1915 and so was the first ashore at around 4:30 am. Lieutenant Colonel L. F. Clarke, commander of the 12th Battalion, was killed by a sniper within hours of the landing. The battalion was heavily involved in establishing and defending the front line of the ANZAC position.
Charles Bean - the first report
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| The landing ~ HMS RIBBLE towards the top of the above image. |
George William MANNING was born to John MANNING and Harriet Ann COBERN in Evandale, Tasmania, Australia on 3rd September 1890.
Little is known of George in his early years in Tasmania, but we can assume he attended school and probably in the district of Launceston.
On 2nd June 1914 at the age of 23 years, he married Annie Josephine THOMPSON. From information received, Annie was born in Launceston in September 1895 and married George when she was 18 years old.
Four months later - on 24th October 1914 - George enlisted in the AIF at Claremont in Tasmania. He stated on his papers that he was married and his Next of Kin was Mrs G. W. Manning of 66 Margaret St, Launceston, Tasmania.
He was given the Service number of 1226 in the 12th Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 1st Reinforcements.
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| 66 Margaret St, Launceston, Tasmania |
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| From Google - 66 Margaret St, Launceston, Tasmania |
The 1st Reinforcements - which included George William Manning - departed Melbourne on board the Themistocles A32 on 22 December 1914.
above image:
1st Division reinforcements playing cricket aboard the transport HMAT Themistocles (A32), part of the 2nd Australian convoy that left (Perth) Australia on 31 December 1914.
[would be nice to know that one of those men was George!]
On 1st February 1915 - the 12th Battalion commenced training at Mena in Egypt, ten miles from Cairo and on the 10th February the 1st Reinforcements had arrived, which included George.
above image:
Part of Mena Camp, seen from the road running up the centre of the camp, known as Artillery Road. At the far end of the road can be seen one of the reservoirs built at the camp; in this one the water burst through the walls.
On the left are the lines of the 1st Australian Divisional Artillery, and on the right the lines of the 3rd Infantry Brigade (in the foreground), and the Divisional Engineers (in the background). On the horizon is one of the pyramids at neaby Gizeh.
A period of training in the desert followed to prepare the Australian forces for their eventual transfer to Europe, but a short time later, on 1st March 1915 they received orders for embarkation at Alexandria. 4th March they had arrived at Lemnos and anchored off Port Mudros.
On 6th April 1915 - 10.00pm - Orders for embarkation & distribution of Brigade on transports received. At 8:00am on the following morning they commenced embarking horses & transport details.
By 21st April they were committed to the Gallipoli Campaign when orders came through for their landing at Gallipoli.
The 3rd Brigade was the covering force for the Anzac landing on 25 April 1915, and went ashore at around 4.30 am. During the early fighting on the first, the battalion's commanding officer was killed by a sniper.
George William MANNING was killed soon after arriving at Gallipoli. It is not known where or when. He was reported as 'missing' in the Dardanelles region, but that was soon changed and reported as being Killed in Action.
According to his service records, there was a board of inquiry on 5th June 1916 that confirmed this finding.
He is remembered with honour at the Lone Pine Memorial.
In the meantime - his wife Annie - had given birth to a daughter in Tasmania in 1915 that she named Sheila Patricia Manning. She is listed on the War Pension claim as a daughter of George in 1916. Annie received 13 pounds per annum for Sheila from 9th April 1916 till 17 March 1931 and for herself, received 52 pounds per annum.
No further information has been found on Sheila.
In 1921 there is record of Annie residing in Brunswick, a suburb of Melbourne. According to various census records of that period, she is found in Carlton and or Brunswick up to and including 1930.
But on page one of the service records of George Manning there is a note to the effect that she may have moved to England. Under the 'change of address' it has: Eng 30/3/30
Have not located any information on Annie or Sheila after this time.
In July 1924 - Ellen Charlotte Florence McNiece - sister to George Manning, wrote to the Army requesting information regarding Private G. W. Manning. The question was if this George Manning had returned to Australia in the Air Force.
As per the following letter:
A reply came back stating that there was only one G. W. Manning and that it was evident that the person making the claim regarding the relationship with the deceased was mistaken.
above: signature of Annie in 1922
above: Dead Man's Penny
The Dead Man’s Penny is a commemorative medallion which was presented to the next-of-kin of the men and women who died during World War One. The bronze medallion features an image of Lady Britannia surrounded by two dolphins (representing Britain’s sea power) and a lion (representing Britain) standing over a defeated eagle (symbolising Germany).
Around the outer edge of the medallion are the words ‘He died for freedom and honour’. Next to Lady Britannia is the deceased soldier’s name, with no rank provided to show equality in their sacrifice.
The Dead Man’s Penny was accompanied by a letter from King George V, stating ‘I join with my grateful people in sending you this memorial of a brave life given for others in the Great War’.
George William Manning's name will be projected onto the exterior of the Hall of Memory on:
- Mon 6 April, 2015 at 7:01 pm
- Fri 22 May, 2015 at 10:58 pm
- Fri 3 July, 2015 at 10:04 pm
- Sun 16 August, 2015 at 8:58 pm
- Tue 6 October, 2015 at 2:24 am
- Sun 6 December, 2015 at 3:50 am
- Wed 3 February, 2016 at 9:37 pm
- Thu 31 March, 2016 at 2:29 am
- Tue 17 May, 2016 at 12:53 am
- Tue 28 June, 2016 at 3:18 am
These
dates and times are estimates. Please note that previous advised times
on this site have recently been changed to ensure that early evening
projections are clearly visible and not affected by twilight.
The actual time of projection could also change as a result of weather and other factors, so it is advisable to check closer to the date. In the rare event of a temporary loss of electrical power, the names scheduled for display in that period will not appear until the next time listed.
The actual time of projection could also change as a result of weather and other factors, so it is advisable to check closer to the date. In the rare event of a temporary loss of electrical power, the names scheduled for display in that period will not appear until the next time listed.
There is also a Facebook page for the 12th Battalion.
25 April 1915:
The full extent of casualties on that first day are not known.
Birdwood, who did not come ashore until late in the day, estimated between three and four hundred dead on the beaches.
The New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage claims one in five of the three thousand New Zealanders involved became a casualty.
The Australian War Memorial has 860 Australian dead between 25–30 April, and the Australian Government estimates 2,000 wounded left Anzac Cove on 25 April, but more wounded were still waiting on the battlefields to be evacuated.
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission documents that 754 Australian and 147 New Zealand soldiers died on 25 April 1915.
A higher than normal proportion of the ANZAC casualties were from the officer ranks. One theory was that they kept exposing themselves to fire, trying to find out where they were or to locate their troops. Four men were taken prisoner by the Turks.
may they all rest in peace
LEST WE FORGET
LEST WE FORGET
Many thanks to the following for their helpful websites and access to same:
the Australian War Memorial
the National Archives
Gallipoli and the Anzacs
Trove
the Commonwealth War Graves Commission
12th Battalion Facebook page
Biography - Charles Edwin Woodrow Bean (1879 - 1968)
First to Fall - introduction
AWM - a difficult landing
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