The 100th anniversary of the end of World War I is approaching – November 11th, 1918. The eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month… It seems appropriate to recognize the service of our grandfather during this event in history. We are so fortunate to have four letters from Grandad to his younger brother, Hamilton, penned during these last months of the war. They were written between July and October, 1918, and this seems like the perfect time to “publish” them for posterity. But, first a little introduction.
Alfred Thomas Mannon (see his tree here), enlisted in the Army Air Service in January of 1918, just after his 20th birthday. The war had been going on in Europe since July 1914, but the United States pursued a “non-intervention” policy for the first years. However, after Germany sunk several American merchant ships, the U.S. entered the war in 1917. The Selective Service Act of 1917 required all men over 21 to register for potential military service. This was expanded to include all men 18-45 in August, 1918. However, Grandad had already enlisted and was not drafted.
So, what was going on in Grandad’s life in 1918 and just before? Since his birthday was in December, it is difficult to know whether he had started attending school at age 5 or 6. In the 1940 census, he self-reported that his highest school year completed was 10th grade. This would have been in 1913 or 1914. In the New York census of June, 1915, Alfred was living at home and working as a bookkeeper. In 1917, he was still living at home and working as a “Propertyman”. This could have been a caretaker at an apartment complex, but, according to Google, it is more likely to have been working in a theater (or studio) managing props. I’m betting on the latter definition.
Who knows why Alfred left school early…it was mostly likely for family financial reasons and it wasn’t uncommon. His father, George Mannon, was always listed in City Directories and censuses as a Railroad Conductor. His mother, May, was a homemaker. Older sister by 2 years, Clara Belle, also was living at home and working in 1915 as a Secretary to a Doctor. Hamilton, only 13 in 1915, was in school. The family was living in the Bronx, at 1956 Anthony Avenue during the years of 1915-1917. The family moved to 405 East 182nd street in the Bronx in late 1917.
May Williamson Mannon, Alfred’s mother, died June 17, 1917 from heart disease and complications of a hysterectomy for fibroid tumors. She was only 46. Alfred purchased her plot at Woodlawn Cemetery.
The family is much harder to track after May’s death. George is still living at the address on East 182nd Street in 1918, but he doesn’t appear in any records until 1924. From Alfred’s war letters, it appears Hamilton was working in late 1918 in the film industry on some kind of serial production. He would have been 16. What Clara Belle did between 1917 and her Seattle marriage to Archie Nielsen in 1925 is somewhat of a mystery, so far. But we know she was an Ensemble member in the musical, “It’s Up to You” in 1921 under the name of Belle Maycliff. Only Alfred & Marion have been found in the 1920 Federal Census.
At some point, Alfred started attending the Chelsea Methodist Episcopal Church in Manhattan (corner of Fort Washington Avenue & 179th Street), where he met a young Marion Rosalind Hickson. Well, actually, she was 2 years older than Alfred. It is unknown when they became engaged, but we know that they made a trip together to Middletown in upstate New York in late May, 1918 to visit the former pastor of Chelsea Church.
So, at the point when young Alfred enlisted in the Army, he had recently lost his mother, whom we understand he adored. We have a sense that he was never very close to his father, George. He had possibly been working in the movie or theater business behind the scenes. From his letters, we learn a few more things about him, his relationships, and his interests. Perhaps the most compelling reason I can offer – and it comes from his letters – he wanted to learn how to fly an airplane!
