Harry Manning

Harry Manning was born as Harry Luelker in Hamburg, Germany on February 3, 1897. When his mother Anna married William Edwards Manning, a British diplomat, his name was changed to that of his stepfather. (His legal middle initial, "V", was rarely used and appeared in only one publication.) His parents moved to New York City when he has about ten years old but his stepfather died soon after. His short stature, only , and a slight physical build subjected him to what would now be called bullying. He responded to the taunts by engaging in fistfights, and even took boxing lessons. He enrolled in the New York State Nautical School which at that time was based on the training ship Newport and taught grammar school subjects in addition to seamanship, graduating in 1914. His first job at sea was on the liner St. Paul, where he became the quartermaster on the second voyage. He would however be fired after a voyage to Nantucket when he suffered seasickness in choppy seas and failed to execute a maneuver. He next went to the Pacific where he used his experience with sail (the training ship Newport was a sail/steam hybrid) on board the bark Dirigio. He next served on Army transports and on freighters of the Isthmian Steamship Company. ==United States Lines==

He joined the United States Lines in 1922 and advanced up the officer ranks on the liners George Washington and Leviathan. On January 28 Captain Fried and the crew of the America were honored in a ticker tape parade. Manning even appeared in a cigarette advertisement. At that time celebrity endorsements were common in tobacco advertising but Manning reputedly was a non-smoker. His interest in navigation and air transport led him to become a pilot in 1930. Manning first met Amelia Earhart in 1928. She was returning from her transatlantic crossing as a passenger on the President Harding and Manning was the master. Close in age and with a mutual interest in aviation, the two became friends en route. In January 1937 the United States Lines granted him a leave of absence to serve as a navigator for Amelia Earhart's attempt to circumnavigate the globe. Manning made extensive preparations for the flight which began on March 17, 1937 from Oakland, California. Earhart's plane was damaged in Honolulu and required extensive repairs. There are conflicting accounts on why Manning left her crew at this point. In one account, Manning was unable to extend his leave of absence and had to return to the United States Lines. Another version claims that he was concerned about her "aggressive" handling of the plane. Earhart would continue on but later disappeared near Howland Island. The following year Manning sustained critical injuries when his own plane crashed near Roosevelt Field, in Long Island. He suffered fractures to both legs, his skull and chest injuries. After his recovery he decided to cease flying. ==WWII service==

In July 1940 the United States had not yet entered WWII and was considered a neutral country. Manning was on the bridge of the liner Washington, off the coast of Europe, when a German U-boat surfaced and immediately signaled for him to abandon ship, which would then be torpedoed. Manning's replies identified his ship as flying the neutral United States flag. While the messages were relayed, Manning ordered his passengers and crew to lifeboat stations. The U‐boat commander eventually told him to proceed, adding “thought you were another vessel.” Manning was made captain of the America (which replaced the 1905 vessel by that name) but his tenure was cut short when the United States Lines ended all commercial service and its ships were refitted for war time transport. When the United States officially entered WWII in 1941, Manning went on active duty in the Navy. As a Navy Reserve Lieutenant Commander he served on the Washington, now the troop ship Mount Vernon. In 1942 he was promoted to Commander and captain of the training ship American Navigator. Later in the war he was superintendent of the US Maritime Service training stations at Huntington, Hoffman Island, and Avalon. ==Postwar and the Blue Riband==

At the end of the war, Manning returned to the United States Lines. He was named Commodore Management was furious over Manning appearing to be racing against Cunard's Queen Elizabeth. Manning would make only a few relief trips after that. He was brought back for the official presentation of the Blue Riband Hales Trophy on November 12, 1952. He made his last trip in March 1953. He was retained as a consultant to the US Lines and retired as commodore for the United States Lines and as a Vice Admiral in the US Navy Reserve. ==Personal life==

On January 30, 1940 Manning married Florence Isabella Trowbridge Heaton (1916–2008). Also a pilot, she had met him in 1934 and shared his interest in aviation. Their union produced a daughter, Florence, but they divorced in 1942. they remained married until his death. While Manning's formal education was limited, he was self-taught on several subjects and could quote lines from Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida. He was regarded as an excellent dancer and the ship stewards sent him the best dance partners. == References ==