Maurice Frederick Wyeth Holbrook

A Private with the 20th Hussars, Maurice died on 31st May 1917. 

Maurice was born at Lowestoft on 31 January 1896, a son of Frederick Arthur and Bessie Nicholson Holbrook. He was baptised at Saint Margaret’s Church, Lowestoft, on 20 March 1896, and his family lived at 33 Cambridge Road. In 1901 his family lived at Victoria Cottages, 2 Avondale Road. From 16 February 1904 Maurice attended Saint Margaret’s School and in 1904 his family lived at 4 Saint Margaret’s Plain. In 1911 they lived at 11 Saint Margaret’s Plain and Maurice was a doctor’s errand boy. Later his parents lived at 80 Sussex Road.

Maurice enlisted in the Army at Great Yarmouth in late 1913 or early 1914. He joined the 20th Hussars, service number 10835. Maurice arrived in France, with his regiment, on 7 August 1914. Maurice was a machine gunner and served with the machine-gun squadron.

In late May 1917 the 20th Hussars were in a dismounted role and manned trenches near Lempire. The regiment war diary records no fatal casualties for 30 May, which is when some sources state that Maurice was killed, but shows that on 31 May six men were killed and four wounded by shell-fire. Original Commonwealth War Graves papers confirm that Maurice died on 31 May.    

Maurice was initially buried at map reference F.15.A.6.4. In 1919 Maurice, and the other men killed on 31 May, were reburied at Unicorn Cemetery.