Charles William Manning

A Skipper with H.M. Smack Ethel and Millie, Charles died on 16th of August 1917 at the age of 45. 

Charles was born at Carlton Colville on 14 April 1874, a son of Johnson and Charlotte Manning. He was baptised at Saint Peter’s Church, Carlton Colville, on 31 May 1874. In 1881 his family lived at Beccles Road, Carlton Colville. By 1891 they were living at a cottage near Mutford Bridge, Beccles Road, Carlton Colville, and Charles was a fisherman. 

On 28 November 1901 Charles married Emil Jane Cooper at Saint Margaret’s Church, Lowestoft. Charles was a fisherman living at Carlton Colville and Emily lived at 9 Selby Street. Later their home was at 4 Mizpah Cottages, Bridge Road, Oulton Broad.

In 1906 Charles was awarded his certificate of competency as a second hand.

Charles joined the Royal Naval Reserve on 3 May 1915 and served as a Second Hand with the trawler Ocean Foam, YH970. On 18 January 1916 he joined the trawler Nelson, and, on 12 February 1917 he joined the trawler Ethel and Millie as Skipper. The Ethel and Millie, LT 200, was a decoy or Q Ship that was also known as the Boy Alfred and the Ledger. 

On 15 August 1917 the Ethel and Millie, in the company of the trawler Nelson, under Skipper Thomas Crisp, was fishing off the Humber. About 2.45 p.m. a submarine engaged the Nelson at long range and Charles brought the Ethel and Millie into the engagement and attempted to bring fire on the submarine. However, the Ethel and Millie was severely damaged by shellfire from the submarine. Charles, and the other crew, were forced to take to a lifeboat while the trawler sank.

Official records show that initially it was assumed that Charles, and the other crew, had been taken prisoner. This notion was perhaps instigated by reports from the crew of the Nelson who stated that they had seen the Ethel and Millie’s crew on the deck of the German submarine. In September 1917 Charles was officially declared as missing and in March 1918 the admiralty concluded that he had been killed on 16 August 1917. The Royal Navy War Graves register lists Charles and four other crew of the Ethel and Millie and states ‘Presumed to have lost their lives on 16th August 1917 when H.M. Smack Ethel and Millie was sunk by an enemy submarine.'