FITZMAURICE, MAURICE ALEXANDER ROSS GERALDINE, Lieut., R.E. 21st Field Coy., 3rd Sappers and Miners, Lahore Division, elder s. of the late John Day Stokes Fitzmaurice, Judge of Dharwar, Bombay Presidency, Indian Civil Service, by his wife, Emily Grace Ellen (The Haven, Haslemere), dau. of the late Professor Samuel Cooke, M.A., etc., Principal Coll. of Science, Poona, India; b. Satara, India, 9 June, 1892; educ. South Lodge, Lowestoft, Felsted School, Essex (where he gained entrance and leaving scholarships), and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich; gazetted 2nd Lieut., R.E., 23 Dec. 1911; joined the School of Military Engineering, Chatham, 1 April, 1912, and on passing out in Dec. 1913, elected to go to India. He was promoted Lieut. 31 Jan. 1914, and was attached to the 3rd Sappers and Miners, Kirkee, in March following. When war broke out he was employed as Garrison Engineer at Bareilly, and was recalled to the 3rd Sappers and Miners, Lahore Division, joining the 21st Field Company. He went to France with the Indian Expeditionary Force in Sept. 1914; was severely wounded in the fighting at Neuve Chapelle on 28 Oct. 1914, and was invalided home, the 20th and 21st Field Cos., 3rd S. and M., being specially mentioned in the despatch of 20 Nov. 1914. He returned to the Front on 19 Feb. 1915; took part in the storming of Neuve Chapelle Village on 10 to 15 March, and was with the Lahore Division in the fighting for Ypres at the end of April, 1915, being for a time in command of his company, all the other officers being wounded. He was killed when on night duty at an outpost near Neuve Chapelle, 6 Aug. 1915, by a stray bullet; unm. He was mentioned in F.M. Sir John (now Lord) French’s Despatch of 14 Jan. 1915, for gallant and distinguished service in the field, and his commanding officer, Col. Coffin, R.E., said of him: “His loss to us is very great; always devoted to his work and cheery, he was a great favourite with all with whom he came in contact.” His company commander, Capt. Rawlence, R.E., also wrote: “His loss will ho deeply felt in the company in which he has always set such an example of hard work and cheery endurance. He was shot between the shoulders whilst supervising the construction of loopholes in a post just behind the firing line at 2 a.m. on 6 Aug.” He was buried in the Cemetery at Vieille Chapelle, side by side with Capt. Glenday, R.E., of the same company, who was killed two nights later, at the same spot.
This is an extract from de Ruvigny's ROLL OF HONOUR 1914-1918 - Part One, page 135.
