RIP Lionel Charles Mance World War I Veteran, 3 December 1900 - 13 September 2001 Lionel Charles Mance was born on 3 December 1900 in Stratford, Victoria the son of Albert Earnest and Harriot Agnus Mance. He married Bessie Matilda Luckwill in 1919 and they had one son Lionel. Charlie resided at Cardinal Gilroy Retirement Village, Barcom Street, Merrylands, NSW 2160 until his death. Charlie Mance told enlistment officers he was 18 when he was only 16 years and five months in 1917. His enthusiasm "broke my mother's heart". Mr Mance - "Charlie's my name" - by the time of his death was one of only 25 survivors of World War I, including two survivors of the Gallipoli campaign, out of the 330,000 Australians who enlisted to fight overseas. He was a blacksmith's striker in a metal foundry in Brunswick, Victoria until 1917 and he had various positions including platelayer and bricklayer from 1920. He enlisted in Victoria in 1917 (Private, Regimental Number 763A, Machine Gun Section, No. 1 Battalion) and embarked on the "Aeneas" in October 1917 for England. He was transferred to the 22nd Battalion in December 1917. Wounded in action in France in 15 June 1918, he returned to duty with the 6th Brigade 2nd Division on 11 July. The Australian Imperial Forces took part in the advance south of the Somme and the Hindenburg Line and Montbrehain in October 1918. He fought in a series of horrendous battles, including Ville-sur-Ancre, Villers-Bretonneux, Mont St Quentin and Heleville Wood. He was gassed once, and at Heleville Wood was wounded by shrapnel but remained on duty. He returned to Australia on the "Runic" in February 1920 and was discharged March 1920 with 1,061 days of effective service. http://www.holroyd.nsw.gov.au/your_city/local_history/significant_people/lionel_charles_mance http://www.warmemorialsnsw.asn.au/traditions/mance.cfm
