butterflies of Gallipoli

[Eceabat]

Hi Pals,

this one is a bit out of the ordinary. I was asked a day or so ago by a Turkish lady very interested in environmental issues if I had ever heard of a British officer who has served at Gallipoli who was, or became, an expert on butterflies and had written about the butterflies he had seen on the peninsula in 1915. I had to say I knew nothing about this whatsoever.

According to this lady, Deniz, she had seen some passing reference to this chap and his studies in a Turkish source, but did not have his name or any details except he may have been in the Anzac sector for a while.

Deniz is keen on developing a data base on the endemic flora and fora of the peninsula and would welcome any advice.

Cheers

Bill

[Bryn]

Hi Bill,

Colonel Neville MANDERS, NZMC, Killed in action at Godley's HQ, No. 3 Outpost, Anzac, on 9 August 1915, aged 55. British officer serving with the New Zealanders.

Colonel Manders was a prominent entomologist, having done much research work in that branch of science. He was a Fellow of the Entomological Society, and a Fellow of the Zoological Society, and the Bombay Natural History Society. He had several species of butterflies named after him. These were donated to museums on his death.

He married at St. Michael's, Colombo, Ceylon, on 15 September 1900, Maud Braybrooke (Glenthorne, Dorset Road, Bexhill-on-Sea), only child of Frederick William Vane, I.S.O., Ceylon C.S. (retired), and of Louisa Frances, his wife, and had a daughter, Una Jim Chester, born 1 November 1901.'

I have a lot more information on Col. Manders if you're interested.

Say hi to Serpil for me.

Regards, Bryn

[Eceabat]

Hi Bryn,

you are a champion. There is going to be one very happy Turkish environmentalist. The poor lady was starting to doubt her sanity, not being able to remember who the person in question was, where she had come across the reference or even if she had made it all up.

Hope all is going well with you. So, when are you coming over?

All the best from Serpil and myself.

Bill

[Jeff Pickerd]

Bryn,

You have not only made Bill and Deniz very happy, but also one very pleased little bunny in my daughter. She can't wait to meet her friends at the Entomology Department at the Melbourne Zoo to drop this gem into the conversation over a cup of coffee.

Never thought she would take an interest in anything connected with WW1, but it's amazing what the mention of a butterfly from Gallipoli could do.

Bill, if any of the staff know of Colonel Manders publications I will let you know.

Jeff

[Peter Bennett]

Not a butterfly, but this insect was on some flowers in Azmak Cemetery last October. A Praying Mantis perhaps ??

[Ozzie]

Yep, I'd call that a Praying Mantis.

[Eceabat]

Jeff,

if anything comes up, yes please, Deniz would be thrilled. Thanks too for the NAA material, great stuff. I'll e-mail you soon about that and gush more enthusiasm.

Bryn, if you had some more on Manders, who today has been dubbed the Kelebek (Butterfly) Colonel by Sahin Aldogan, it would be appreciated.

Cheers

Bill

[Bryn]

Bill,

I have a copy of his will somewhere. I'll have to dig it out.

There's also more information, but I'll include that when I've typed it up from original documents.

I know of only one book:

Manders, N. 1907. 'The butterflies of Mauritius and Bourbon'. Entomological Society, London, 1907.

Don't know when I'll get back to Gallipoli - not too far in the future I hope.

Meanwhile, here's some more detail:

***********************************

Lieut. Colonel Neville Manders. Mentioned in Despatches. Egypt Medal & Bar, Khedives Star. India General Service Medal & 2 Bars

Born 12 Dec 1859 in Marlborough, Wiltshire. Birth certificate: 1860 March qtr Marlbro. 5a. 79.

Educated Marlborough College, England.

Doctor, of London, England.

Photos known: de Ruvigny Vol.1 p 243. Auckland Weekly News 2 Sep 1915 p38.

Chief Medical Officer.

CWGC lists NOK as:

Father; Maj. T. Manders, late 6th Dragoon Guards (Carabineers).

Wife; Mrs M.B. Knapp (formerly Manders), of 77, Fellows Road, Hampstead, London.

Was stationed at Colombo, Ceylon as a Lieut. Colonel, Royal Army Medical Corps (1910).

Daughter; Ilsia Manders.

Was a keen zoologist, with several species of butterflies named after him. These were donated to museums on his death.

Information taken from Col. Manders's will (Probate London, 8th December 1915).

'... served in the 1885 Suakin Expedition (Egypt Medal & Bar, and Khedives Star), and in Burma 1887 - 89 (India General Service Medal and two Bars) where he had been severely wounded.' (Haigh, NZ officers died p20).

Landed at Anzac Cove 25th April 1915 (refer to article 'Reminiscences of Anzac' by Col. P.C. Fenwick, NZEF).

Youngest son of the late Major Thomas Manders, 6th Dragoon Guards (Carabineers), afterwards Adjutant, P.W.O., Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry, and Catherine Manders, daughter of John Hacking. Born Marlborough, Wiltshire, 12 December 1859. Educated at Marlborough College and after qualifying (with honours) as L.R.C.P. (London) and M.R.C.S. (England), entered the Army Medical Service as a Surgeon on 2 August 1884. Gazetted Major, RAMC, 2 August 1896, promoted Lieutenant Colonel 2 August 1904, and Colonel 21 December 1910. Served in the Suakim Campaign, 1885 (medal with clasp, Khedive's Bronze Star), and with the Burmese Expedition of 1887-89, in which he was severely wounded (medal with two clasps). Was Senior Medical Officer, Ceylon, 1908 to 1911, and at the Curragh. 1912 to December 1913, and was appointed Deputy Director of the Medical Service in Egypt, 21 December 1913, a position which he retained until January 1915, when he was, by special request, attached to the Headquarters Staff of the Australian and New Zealand Forces as A.D.M.S., going with them to the Dardanelles in April, 1915.

He was killed in action at Anzac, Gallipoli, 9 August 1915, during the attack on Sari Bair, and was buried on the beach at No. 3 Post.

General Sir Alexander Godley, General Officer Commanding, New Zealand and Australian Division, wrote: 'He had endeared himself to us all, and had so thoroughly identified himself with this force and had been such a help to us, that that his loss will be irreparable. I can hardly say how much I shall miss him and all the help he gave me. He was killed while making plans for the relief of the wounded, on the field in the execution of his duty, and I only hope that it might be some slight consolation to you to know this, and to know how highly we all thought of him, and how much we shall miss him both as a Staff Officer and a comrade. '

Colonel Manders was a prominent Entomologist, having done much research work in that branch of science. He was a Fellow of the Entomological Society, and a Fellow of the Zoological Society, and the Bombay Natural History Society.

He married at St. Michael's, Colombo, Ceylon 15 September 1900, Maud Braybrooke (Glenthorne, Dorset Road, Bexhill-on-Sea), only child of Frederick William Vane, I.S.O., Ceylon C.S. (retired), and of Louisa Frances, his wife, and had a daughter, Una Jim Chester, born 1 November 1901.' (de Ruvigny Volume 1 p243).

On Loan from the RAMC to the NZ & A Division from 13 March 1915. (Studholme p364).

Killed at General Godley's (NZ) HQ:

'Col. Manders had been killed on Aug. 9 by one of the stray bullets which constantly fell at Godley's HQ.' (Bean Vol. 2 p746n).

(Bean Vol. 1 p232, 233, 280n, 563, 566, 568, 569; V2 p746n, mentioned 358, 364n, 717n).

'Col. Neville Manders, A.M.S., A.D.M.S. to the New Zealand and Australian Division, crept out of his bivouac early on this fateful morning only to meet his end. A wandering bullet pierced his head, he fell forward, and when Major Holmes ran to pick him up he was dead! His many years of faithful service ended. Staunch to the last, he had never faltered - even under the galling yoke of Anzac.' (Carbery p94).

'Monday, August 9th, 1915. Bullets came streaming down our valley, and we put up a small wall of sacks, 3 feet high, behind which we slept. I was sitting at breakfast this morning listening to Colonel Manders talking, when suddenly I saw Charlie B. put his hand to his own head and say: 'By G----, he's killed!' Manders fell back dead, with a bullet through his temple, he was a very good fellow.

Came back for Manders' funeral. I was very fond of him. General Godley read a few sentences with the help of my electric torch, which failed. Four others were buried with him. Later I saw a great shell strike the grave. A cemetery, or rather lots, growing up round us. There are dead buried or half buried in every gully.' (Herbert, Mons, Anzac & Kut, page unknown).

'General Cox was wounded at his headquarters. At mine, my old friend of Mafeking days, Lord Charles Bentinck, who had joined my staff and I were sitting together discussing, with our medical officer, Colonel Manders, arrangements for the evacuation of the wounded from the beach. Manders suddenly ceased talking, his head dropped on his shoulder, and, remaining as he did in a sitting position, it was some moments before we realized that a spent bullet had noiselessly struck him on the temple and that he was dead.' (Godley p184).

Photo and biography in de Ruvigny Vol.1 p 243.

********************************

Jeff,

Hope that gives your daughter a bit more ammo as well.

Bryn

NZ No 2 Outpost cemetery, Anzac. Sp. mem. 20

[Jeff Pickerd]

Bryn,

Thank you, yes my daughter is greatly impressed with this information and has now come to realize that not all soldiers are just men of war, as is the case with Colonel Manders.

Have not had much of a chance to hear her news from today, as yet, but gather this has created quite some interest at the Melbourne Zoo Entomology Department already.

Now she is armed with much greater details, should be interesting to see where this leads.

Bill, I will keep you informed of anything that arises from this.

Jeff

[Jeff Pickerd]

Bill,

Still no information from the Melbourne Zoo Entomology Department as yet, but my daughter hopes to have something for you this coming Friday.

My only fear is that there might be be more interest from there with the detail Bryn has put forward, than information being offered, but hopefully this will entice them to make further enquires.

Jeff

[Bryn]

Jeff, did you ever hear any more on this?

I still haven't put my hands on my copy of Col. Manders' will, but will let you know when I do.

[Jeff Pickerd]

Bryn and Bill,

Unfortunately my daughter received no further information from the Melbourne Zoo Entomology Department in regard to the work of Colonel Mander's, she was transferred not long after this topic arose, to the Australian Marsupial and Raptor Department. If nothing else, we have atleast given the department members an insight to Mander's life that would not have known.

We do have one legacy of her time in entomology, her new pet by the name of 'Peppy', a Queensland Peppermint Stick Insect, who resides on its own plant in our family room. Fortunately, 'Peppy' replaces the previous pet, 'Maggot' the rat.

Jeff