Private Arthur Mannix
Arthur Mannix was born on 11 April 1899 at Southport, Lancashire, the first of nine childern of American-born fishmonger John Patrick Mannix and his wife Ada Lavinia Adams Mannix (née Kinsey). By the time of the 1911 Census he was living as a student at St Edward's Roman Catholic School at Thingwall, near Liverpool.
At the beginning of 1917 Mannix fell foul of the law. According to a report in the Liverpool Echo of 24 January:
Arthur Mannix (17), Linaker-street, Southport, pleaded guilty at the police court to-day to embezzling 24s from his employers, Outram & Co., by whom he was employed as van hand to deliver bread. He delivered bread and received money without giving receipts. Accused said he only borrowed the money to buy a suit of clothes. He tried to join the Army, but was refused on account of his age or size. He was placed on probation for six months and ordered to pay back the 24s.
And on 23 March:
At Southport, to-day, Arthur Mannix (17), of Linaker-street, was bound over on a charge of stealing two pairs of boots and a pair of spurs belonging to his employer, a riding school proprietor, for whom he had been working as a groom. Accused said he would be in the Army in a fortnight, as he then attained the age of 18. Inspector Wignall said when a case of embezzlement against defendant was dismissed two months ago he attested for the Army, but they would not take him until he was 18. The bench said that if he joined the Army on or before his eighteenth birthday – April 11 next – he would hear no more of the case.
Mannix joined the cavalry soon after, and between 27 June and 30 July 1917 was posted to the North Irish Horse at Antrim (regimental number between 2557 and 2594 – later Corps of Hussars No.71894). Around February 1918 he embarked for France, where he was posted to the 1st North Irish Horse Regiment. At this time, however, the regiment was dismounted and converted to a cyclist unit. This meant a 25 per cent reduction in the regiment's numbers, and it is probable that this was the time that Mannix was posted to the 6th Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers).
On 17 August 1918 he was admitted to the 18th General Hospital suffering from POU (pyrexia of unknown origin). He remained there under treatment until discharged on 23 September.
Mannix was demobilised and transferred to Class Z, Army Reserve, on 21 February 1919. He later served in the 55th West Lancashire Divisional Train of the Royal Army Service Corps (No. T/34947).
At the time of the 1939 Register Mannix was living at 30 Derby Road, Southport with his wife Edith (née Brownbill), and working as a cinema attendant. He died there on 9 February 1975 and was buried in the Duke Street Cemetery.
Image sourced from the Find-a-Grave website, photographer Kevin Laroux Wood.