Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Private W. H. Manning, Royal Fusiliers

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 3 clasps, Cape Colony, Tugela Heights, Relief of Ladysmith (3402 Pte. W. Manning, 2nd. Rl: Fus:); Imperial Service Medal, G.V.R., circular type, 2nd ‘crowned bust’ issue (William Henry Manning); Coronation 1937, unnamed as issued, extremely fine (3) £240-280

William Henry Manning was born in Haggerston, Middlesex, in August 1871, and attested for the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders at London on 16 August 1889. He transferred to the Royal Fusiliers, and was discharged on 30 December 1894. Recalled to the Colours for service during the Boer War on 9 October 1899, he spent a week at Aldershot before sailing to South Africa in the S.S. Pavonia, recording the embryonic days of his South African odyssey in his diary:
‘21 October. Went into Farnboro Town, and the placards were far from encouraging, see we have lost 300 killed and wounded. Hope we shall be able to give them beans when we get to Africa.’
‘22 October. Left Aldershot at 8:30 a.m. and entrained for Southampton. Left docks at 4 p.m. Band played Auld Lang Syne. Feet rather miserable - I feel it very much after 4 years and 9 months in the reserve. Did not get our dinner of an apology for such until 8 p.m.’
‘23 October. Passed Cape Finnesterre and entered the bay of Biscay. Fist beginning to feel sick. Horrible arrangements about our food, and no chance of a hammock, so I got to sleep on the deck. Awful hungry but can’t get anything.’
‘31 October. Woke up this morning to found we had entered the harbour at St. Vincent’s to coal the ship. Heaps of boats all around the ship selling us oranges and bananas. I have bought 100 oranges and a bunch of bananas, if we cannot get anything else we shall live on the fruit. Had our spirits dampened by the news of the Disaster at Nichollsons Nek. Things are more serious than we thought but perhaps it will be all over when we get to Cape Town.’
‘2 November. Got a splendid dinner, as much as one could eat. Sneaked about 2 pounds of steak for tomorrow - we have been absolutely starved on here and the officers seem powerless to help it.’
‘18 November. Arrived Cape Town. Crowds of people to welcome us, heard lots of tales about the War, from what I can make out there will be plenty for us to do, as up to now we are far from getting the best of it. As soon as we have coaled again we are off to Durban.’
‘22 November. Arrived Durban. What a welcome met us, huge stacks of loaves of bread and fruit which were freely given to us. Huge crowds of people who loaded us with gifts of cigarettes, tobacco, ripe fruit, and everything we could wish for. Never as long as I live shall I forget their kindness. We left for the front at 1:30 p.m. What a send off we received. It was splendid and I feel quite overcome. About 40 miles up the line we stopped at a station where again we were treated handsomely. Pails of beautiful tea and bread and butter were brought round to us by Zulus, and I went around with my hat for a collection for our Zulu waiter, and got 2 shillings which I handed to him. He seemed highly delighted and commenced singing and dancing. I also heard that Ladysmith was besieged, and that we were likely to be fighting tomorrow, I can hardly describe how I feel.’
‘23 November. At daybreak we marched up to our positions. At 2 p.m. we were ordered to make an attack on the Boers, if possible, but although they fired a few shells into our camp, which did us no harm, we could not get at them as they retired on our advance, so we returned to camp.’
‘24 November. Been on outpost duty all night and my eyes are sore watching for the Boers, who never came.’
‘28 November. While I was on sentry duty a party of Zulus approached me, and as I couldn’t understand a word they said, or them me, and as they had no pass, of course they had to go back from whence they came.’
‘9 December. Marched to Frere a distance of 11 miles, and when we reached Frere, found about 10,000 more troops.’

Frere was General Buller’s advance base for the advance on the Tugela 10 miles away, and the Royal Fusiliers took part in the subsequent actions on the Tugela Heights. By 27 January Buller was master of the Tugela Heights, and Ladysmith was relieved. Manning served with the Royal Fusiliers through the operations, before becoming dangerously ill with fever (Telegram to the recipient’s wife, dated 26 May 1900 refers). He was subsequently sent back to England, having served 270 days abroad, and was discharged on 25 April 1902. He re-enlisted in the Army Reserve on 8 October 1902, and served for a further four years before finally being discharged on 7 October 1906, after a total of 16 years and 253 days’ service.

Having joined the Post Office in the 1890s, after his first period with the Colours had expired, Manning resumed his civilian career as a Porter in the Inland Section of the London Postal Service, was in due course advanced to Head Porter, and was awarded the Imperial Service Medal on his retirement on 13 September 1933 (London Gazette 30 June 1933). He died in Bournemouth in July 1964.

Sold together with the recipient’s Boer War diary, covering the period 9 October until 9 December 1899, this attractively bound; Parchment Certificates of Character on both transfer to the Army Reserve and on discharge; Parchment Certificates of Discharge from both the Colours and the Reserve; letter of recommendation from Captain C. Heyworth-Savage, dated 28 December 1894; Bestowal Document for the Imperial Service Medal, and accompanying Letter from the London Postal Service, dated 7 September 1933; charcoal portrait of the recipient; and two photographs.