Name
Maurice Neale
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
07/10/1916
31
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
23803
Princess Charlotte of Wales’ (Royal Berkshire) Regiment
6th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ST. SEVER CEMETERY, ROUEN
Plot B, Row 18, Grave 16.
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Watford Borough Roll of Honour,
Croxley Green Village Memorial,
All Saints' Church Shrine, Croxley Green,
John Dickinson & Co Memorial, Croxley Mills, Croxley Green
Pre War
Maurice Neale was 31 when he died, the son of William and Elizabeth Neale of Watford, husband of Mary Neale (nee Dowse) of 18 Sydney Road, Watford and father of Edmund and Maureen.
His parents married 9 April 1876 at St Mary’s, Watford. William died 1905 in Watford aged 52, and was buried 25 November in Vicarage Road Cemetery, Watford; Elizabeth died 1914 in Watford aged 55, and was buried 19 June, also in Vicarage Cemetery.
Maurice was born 31 July 1885 in Watford, and attended first Sotheron Road Infants’ School, Watford; then Beechen Grove Board School, Watford, from 8 February 1892 to 30 August 1897. He married Mary nee Parsons 28 March 1914 at St Michael’s, Watford; they had two children. Mary never remarried, and died 7 November 1978 in Poole, Dorset, aged 90.
On the 1891 Census, aged 5 he lived in Watford, with his parents and five siblings. On the 1901 Census, a plumber aged 15 he lived at 27 Carey Place, Watford, with his parents and six siblings. In 1911 Maurice was living with his mother, then a widow and mother of nine surviving children, at 12 Grosvenor Rd., Watford. His mother was born in Berkshire. Maurice’s occupation in 1911 was a house decorator but, in the Watford Observer of 3 June 1916, he was recorded on the roll of honour of Dickinson’s Fire Brigade. The Watford and West Herts Post of 10 October confirms that he was a member of the Croxley Mills Fire Brigade and a watchman at the mill. He is listed on the All Saints’ Shrine as having joined up in 1916.
Wartime Service
He enlisted in Watford; was entitled to the Victory and British War medals, and died of wounds received in action.
Private Maurice Neale of the 6th Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment died of wounds on 7 October 1916 and is buried at Rouen.
The 6th Royal Berkshires (53rd Brigade, 18th Division) had seen action at the Somme since July at Montauban, Delville Wood and Thiepval and had suffered serious losses. There had been casualties in heavy shelling on 1st October and more casualties were caused by strong bombing attacks on 4th October at Thiepval during the battle of the Ancre Heights.
Additional Information
Unfortunately, Maurice’s Service Record appears to be one that did not survive the World War Two bombing.
There is a Death announcement for Maurice in the West Herts and Watford Observer dated 14 October 1916; plus In Memoriams in the issues dated 5 October 1918 and 4 October 1919.
Has a entry in the National Roll of the Great War.
Acknowledgments
Malcolm Lennox, Tanya Britton, Brian Thomson, Croxley Green in the First World War, Rickmansworth Historical Society 2014, Sue Carter (Research) and Watford Museum (ROH on line via www.ourwatfordhistory.org.uk)
