Born on 14 December 1880 in Crewe, Cheshire, England ("Naturalized Citizen of U.S.A") - friend of Thomas Ridgeway, Brooklyn, New York - at the time of his enlistment in 1916: present address in Prince George Hotel, Toronto, Ontario; trade as officer in Philippine Constabulary (twelve years); Protestant; no current military service; previously served in the United States Army (four years).
Joined the 97th Battalion, CEF, as a Captain in Toronto, Ontario, on 31 January 1916 - taken on the strength of the 38th Battalion, CEF, as a Lieutenant on 25 April 1917 - wounded on 27 May 1917 - rejoined the 38th Battalion on 27 June 1917 - attached to the Headquarters, United States Army, on 8 September 1917 - resigned his commission in the Imperial forces on 10 December 1917 in order to join the American military - died on 25 July 1918 of wounds received that day.
(sources: Library and Archives Canada (www.collectionscanada.gc.ca), online attestation papers; Canadian War Museum, 19740281-001, Manu 58F 2 3, 207th Canadian Infantry Battalion and 38th Canadian Infantry Battalion, Nominal Roll; The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa Regimental Museum, A400-0007, Master Personnel List for the 38th Canadian Infantry Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force)
I am the author of The Remains of Company D: A Story of the Great War (about Co. D of the 28th Regiment, US 1st Division), and for my next book "Five Lieutenants" I have done some research on John Speed Manning, aka "Jock" Manning, who was the captain of Company M, 28th Infantry Regiment, US 1st Division. He took over as the company's captain on May 29th, 1918 -- the second day of the Battle of Cantigny. He was severely wounded six weeks later at the Paris-Soissons Road on July 19, 1918 during the Soissons offensive. Company M Private Vinton Pawel said Manning "was wounded twice in one arm, once in the stomach, and once in the leg" by machine-gun fire; I'm pretty sure this was during the renewal of the advance at the road, where Company M suffered severe casualties at about 4 a.m while trying to push through heavy mist and early morning fog towards Ploisy and were annilhilated by German machine guns. Manning was taken to an aid station in the afternoon, and lingered until July 25. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. I am researching whether his listed next of kin Thomas Ridgway is the same Thomas Ridgway who fathered the famed American WW2 commander Matthew Ridgway. Manning was also great friends with General John Wesley Green, a Rough Rider with whom Manning served in the Philipines, and who in a letter that Manning had no living relatives at the time of his death and "considered me as his Father and and my wife as his Mother, and was with us much of the time since 1904."
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