Maurice was a talented professional violinist at the time he was called up for service as a Private in the 9th Battalion of the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment in June 1917. Following a period of training, he travelled from Folkestone to Boulogne on 1 April 1918.

Maurice’s regiment was part of the 25th Division, which took part in the Battle of the Aisne, having been based at Fismes, 20 miles SE of Soissons in the Champagne region. His time in the trenches was tragically short, as evidenced by the following account from the 25th Division, which included Maurice’s regiment:

“At 1am on 27 May 1918, a heavy German bombardment with gas and high explosive hit the entire area between the front line beyond the Chemin [des Dames –the front line] and Fismes itself. The infantry began to attack three hours later. The Division was instructed to hold the second line of defence... By 10am, all three Brigades...were fighting for their lives north of the river. By mid-day the Germans had broken through and crossed the Aisne: the units of the 25th Division were thrown piecemeal into action. They were all but destroyed. The remnants of many units were temporarily joined into composite units, fighting a withdrawal as the enemy pressed on many miles across the River Marne. Casualties between 26 May and 14 June amounted to 4,338 officers and men, of whom 2,511 were missing.”

Maurice’s date of death is given as 27 May 1918 –the date of the initial attack described above –although his body was not identified until 11 June. His family were not informed of his death and his mother travelled to France after the war in search of him, visiting hospitals in case he had amnesia, but she found nothing. In 1920, his violin was returned to the family.

Info thanks to https://www.princesroad.org/in-memoriam