Edward Manning Oldring known as Manning, was born in Hemel Hempstead in 1892 the seventh child of George Oldring and Ellen Lovell of 10 Glenview (Gardens) Road, Hammmerfield. He had seven older siblings who were, George, Harry, Benjamin, Ellen, Mary Ann, Winifred, Annie, and a younger brother Hubert John. Hubert was also killed in the Great War in October 1915 and his biography also appears on this site. The Oldring family was involved in the Grocery trade and Manning’s father George had his own grocery store at 25 St Peter Street, St Albans in 1881 employing two boys. By 1891 it seems his fortunes had taken a downturn and he worked as a Grocer’s Assistant in Hemel Hempstead where he had brought his growing family. They lived at Cemmaes Terrace on the Cotterells and the two oldest boys George and Harry were working as a "Grocer’s Apprentice" and an "Errand Boy" respectively.

By the time Manning was nine in 1901, his father had left the grocery trade and instead worked as a "Bricklayer’s Labourer". The family had moved again to Glenview (Gardens) Road in Hammerfield where it remained until George’s death in 1941. After Manning left school in 1905, he went to work for John Dickinson & Co. Limited in Apsley Mills where he progressed to become a “Clerk”. This was the job he was doing when war broke out and for some time he was not permitted to enlist by his employer. Dickinsons had released a large number of young men in the first two years of the war and the Board of Directors sought to minimise the impact of further loss of manpower, especially in skilled or more specialist jobs, as the war progressed. However, Manning was finally allowed to volunteer, which he did in September 1917, when he enlisted with the Army Pay Corps, probably to make best use of his administrative skills developed in his employment.

Little is known of his military service, but the Army Pay Corps played an important role in ensuring that the hugely complex process of soldiers pay, separation allowances, pensions and other financial activities, was undertaken efficiently. As a result of the Corps work in the Great War it was awarded the “Royal” prefix in 1920. Manning served until the Armistice was signed but he had not been demobilised by the time he fell ill. He contracted influenza in February 1919 whilst at home in Hemel Hempstead, the virulent strain of “Spanish Flu” sweeping the globe at the time. He was admitted to West Herts Hospital but by that time had developed Bronchopneumonia and sadly did not survive his illness.

Manning died in hospital in Hemel Hempstead on Friday, 21st February 1919 and his funeral took place six days later on the 27th at Heath Lane Cemetery in the town.

He was commemorated in three churches in the town, Marlowes Baptist Church where he was a member of the congregation, St John the Evangelist in Boxmoor and St Francis of Assisi closest to his home on Glenview Road. He was also commemorated on the John Dickinson & Co. Limited War Memorial in Apsley End, where he had worked before going to war.

A year after his death two “In Memoriam” notices were published in the Hemel Gazette, the second of which, from his heartbroken sweetheart Edith Wilkins, contained a touching verse. 

 

Manning is Remembered with Honour in the Hemel Hempstead (Heath Lane) Cemetery, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom, where he is interred in Grave Q. 30.

He was 35 years old when he died.

Manning is entitled to the British War Medal and Allied Victory Medal.