was ordered to prepare for embarkation for Africa, where, three months previously war had broken out with the Dutch Republics of the Transvaal, Orange Free State, and it was posted to 17th Brigade, 8th Division, Commanded by General Rundle.
Landing in April at Port Elizabeth the Battalion was pushed to Edenburg where the 8th Division was concentrating, and took part in operations for the defence of Wepener, those about Dewetsdorp and Biddulphsberg, and in those which culminated in the surrender of Commandant Prinsloo.
The Division had much hard marching and constant fighting, and the shortness of supplies caused it to be known as "The Hungry Eighth." During the remainder of the many weary months that the war endured, the Battalion was constantly employed with mobile columns, in guarding the many Blockhouse Lines in course of erection, and finally in the "drives" which gradually wore down the opposition of the enemy.
When the war ended the Battalion was holding the Harrismith--Van Reeneivs Pass Blockhouse Line. The "Honours" granted to the Regiment for the war in South Africa were "Defence of Ladysmith" and "South Africa, 1899-1902." The 2nd Battalion remained in South Africa until September, 1902, when it returned to England and was quartered at Aldershot, remaining there for two years; it was then sent to Guernsey and Alderney, and on again returning to England and was quartered at Portsmouth, and in Ireland, and was serving at the Curragh when in August, 1914, the Great War opened and the Battalion was at once ordered to mobilize, forming part of the 14th Brigade, 5th Division, Commanded by Brigadier-General Rolt and Major-General Sir Charles Fergusson.
Leaving Ireland on the 14th August the Battalion landed at Havre two days later and was at once pushed up to the front, arriving in time to take part in the Battle of Mons, retreating with the rest of the Army, and making with the II Corps the historic stand at Le Cateau; the retreat ended, the Army turned upon the pursuing Germans, and the Battalion was engaged again on the Marne and on the Aisne; and during the remainder of the year, when the war of the trenches had begun, served and fought on the Le Bassee and the Messines fronts, earning the highest possible praise from all the many different Commanders under whom it had served during the five months that the war had already lasted.
During the early part of 1915 the 2nd Battalion was not engaged in operations on any very large scale, but in April it was moved to the Ypres salient
where casualties at once began to mount up. It was engaged in the three weeks' fighting about Hill 60, included in the Second Battle of Ypres, and for three months without relief held the well-known landmark known as the "Bluff." At the end of July the Division moved to the Somme area, where the Battalion spent 87 days in the trenches, and then was transferred farther north to the neighbourhood of Maricourt, where the winter of 1915-16 was passed.
Early in 1916 the Brigade containing the 2nd Battalion The Manchester Regiment was reorganized, two of the New Army Battalions being included in it, while the Brigade was now transferred from the 5th to the 32nd Division and was sent to the Authville sector on the River Ancre. Here it remained for the ensuing six months, playing a very gallant and a very important part in the Battle of the Somme, particularly at Thiepval. In November the Battalion again specially distinguished itself at the Battle of the Ancre at Beaumont Hamel.
The winter months of 1916-17 passed tolerably quietly, but in the spring of the latter year, in the operations known as "Breaking the Hindenburg Line," the Battalion again had some hard fighting with 32nd Division, and on 2nd April at Francilly-Selency, under Colonel Luxmore's Command, had the honour of capturing a battery of German guns, receiving a special signal from the Commander-in-Chief Sir Douglas Haig.
For some weeks in the latter part of the year the Battalion was withdrawn to the security, quiet and comfort of the Belgian sea-coast at La Panne, while later still it proceeded to and took over part of the Nieuport defences. Fighting, though constant and weary, was not intense,but the German attack was held in July. Shortly after this thay were in the Nieuport dunes section with no fewer than thirteen battalions of the Regiment.
In November the Battalion moved to the Passchendaele area in the spring of 1918 (Houthuist Forest) and summer of the last year of the Great War, was to share in hard fighting.
In February the 2nd Battalion The Manchester Regiment was transferred from the 14th to the 96th Brigade, consequent on the reduction in the number of Battalions in each Infantry Brigade from 4 to 3, and at the end of March was moved to a new army area at Ayctte, the 32nd Division here relieving the 31st which had been heavily engaged and was greatly exhausted and reduced in strength, from this time until the end of August, the Battalion was constantly engaged and was always distinguished �Its work,� declared its Brigadier, 'is beyond all praise"; and in the early days of October, in the crossing of the Sambre and Oise Canal, and in all the fighting that resulted and continued up to the end of the first week in November, the Battalion had its full share and suffered many casualties.
For the 2nd Battalion the war ended on the 6th November when it was taken out of action, and on the 11th all ranks learnt that an armistice had been declared, and that the Great War was over.
Strangely enough the Battalion started and ended the war at Le Cateau, 'We have been accustomed." wrote Field-Marshal Lord Haig, "to be proud of the great and noble traditions handed down to us by the soldiers of bygone days. The men who form the armies of the Empire today have created new traditions which are a challenge to the highest records of the past, and will be an inspiration to the generations who come after us."
After the armistice the Battalion moved to Belgium, and later was transferred to Bonn in Germany where it formed part of the Army of Occupation. The honours granted to the Regiment for the part Played by the 2nd Battalion were: "Mons," "Ypres, 1915,17,18, and Somme, 1916, '18," & " Hindenburg Line.�
Under an Army Order of 5th July, 1924, these Honours are borne on the King's Colour. During the early part of 1919, demobilization of the Army was being rapidly carried out, and in April of this year the cadre of the Battalion arrived at Bordon in Martinique Barracks.
In October, as the 1st Battalion were then stationed in Aldershot in Salamanca Barracks, the opportunity was taken for a meeting of the two Battalions, and both Battalions marched to Farnham Park, Surrey where a combined ceremonial parade was held.
The period April - November, 1919, was chiefly spent in gradually re-forming the Battalion for foreign service In November, however, the Irish situation became menacing and the Battalion was moved to Tipperary where it performed various duties as patrols, escorts and guards. No incident of moment took place, but the duties were heavy and little or no training for the newly constituted Battalion could take place.
In February, 1920, the Battalion was placed under orders for Mesopotamia and sailed from Tilbury on H.M.T. Macedonia with the 18th Royal Irish and details. Having trans-shipped at Bombay for Basra and after a journey up the River Tigris, passing Kut-el-Amara, they reached Baghdad in April.
The Battalion formed part of 55th Brigade and until July was chiefly employed in Garrison duties at Tekrit. In July a revolt of the Arabs broke out, and the Battalion was then sent to the Euphrates front, arriving at Hillah on the 21st and joining the 17th Division.
On 23rd July, through an error, the Battalion (less one company and machine guns) was sent out with an incomplete column from Hillah. At night the column was heavily attacked by fanatical tribesmen and, in spite of the fact that the perimeter had been broken, was ordered to withdraw on Hillah and the Battalion involved in heavy fighting in which many were killed, including Captain H. G. Harrison (Adjutant), G. M. Glover, M.C., the R.Q.M.S., and Captain G. S. Henderson, D.S.O., M.C. For his great gallantry Captain Henderson was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross. A party of British and some Indian troops were taken prisoner by the Arabs, but were all recovered later and well in October. For the condition of this party, the credit goes to the senior man who controlled and looked after them, C.S.M. C. Mutters, M.C., D.C.M., M.M.
From July to November the Battalion was employed on various Operations, the most notable being the defence of Hillah, the capture of Hindiyeh Barrage, and the relief of Kifl and Kufa. Conditions during these operations were bad owing to the excessive heat, flies, and the scarcity of water.
The Battalion left Mesopotamia for India in December, after having been thanked on parade by the Commander-in-Chief for its good work during the operations. Kamptee (where the 1st Battalion had been in 1910) was reached in January, 1921, after three weeks at Deolali. A detachment was kept at Fort Sitabuldi, Nagpur, and on two occasions the Battalion was called out for duties in aid of the civil power. In January,1922, on the occasion of the visit of H.R.H. The Prince of Wales to Central Province, the Battalion furnished a Guard of Honour, and personal Guard to His Royal Highness.