Alfred Charles Henry Manning

Killed in Action on the 10/08/1917 during the 3rd Battles of Ypres (Passchendaele)

The 2nd Battalion were in Cairo, Egypt in August 1914. They returned to England on the 01/10/1914 and came under orders of 23rd Brigade, 8th Division. On the 06/11/1914 they arrived at Le Havre. Alfred was Killed in Action in the 2nd week of the 3rd Battles of Ypres (Passchendaele), 31st July - 10th November 1917 : The British finally got what they had wanted since 1914 : the opportunity to attack at Ypres and breakout of the confines of the salient of trenches around it. Often known as the 3rd Battle of Ypres or Passchendaele, the offensive began with encouraging gains but terrible summer weather soon bogged it down. By August the offensive was clearly failing in its objectives and had descended into attritional fighting. New techniques by both sides led to agonisingly slow forward movement for the British, at enormous cost in casualties to both sides. Bad weather in October led to the battlefield becoming an impossible quagmire. The Division took part in the Battle of Pilckem Ridge, 31st July - 2nd August 1917. Alfred fell 8 days later. Alfred was a member of Whifflet Division, No 1126, Sons of Temperance. He is also remembered on the Trinity Parish Church Roll of Honour and on the Torquay War Memorial (see photos). See photos for Alfred's Medal Index Card, his Newspaper clipping, the 1901 England Census, the 1911 England Census, his CWGC Grave Registration, his name on the Menin Gate Memorial Panel List, his name on the Menin Gate Memorial x 2, his Army Register of Soldiers Effects, his Service Medal and Award Rolls x 2, Alfred's Pension Record and the Devonshire Regiment Cap Badge. Finally Alfred's younger brother Private Eli John Manning (14532733) of the 9th Border Regiment died on the 07/04/1945 and his body was exhumed from Meiktila War Cemetery and reburied in Taukkyan War Cemetery (28. H. 2), Myanmar (see photos x 4). Eli was married to Constance Laura Manning and his Grave inscription reads "THOUGH ABSENT YOU ARE ALWAYS NEAR, STILL LOVED, STILL MISSED, AND EVER DEAR".