Name
Maurice Archibald Edward Coward
1899
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
23/03/1918
19
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
43826
Lincolnshire Regiment
7th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ARRAS MEMORIAL
Bay 3 and 4.
France
Headstone Inscription
NA
UK & Other Memorials
Letchworth Town Memorial
Pre War
Maurice Archibald Edward Coward was born in Shirley, Hampshire in 1899 , the son of Clement Coward, house painter, and Sarah (nee Spratt).
On the 1901 Census the family of parents, Florence (born 1894), Harry (born 1897), Maurice, and Mary Coward (born 1831, grandmother) were living at 32, Station Road, Shirley, Hants.
On the 1911 Census the family of parents, Harry and Maurice were still living at 32, Staion Road, Shirley.
Soon after the family moved to 13, Broughton Hill, Letchworth. Maurice worked as a bookbinder at W.H Smith.
Wartime Service
No Service Record was found for Maurice. He was enlisted as Private 6547 in the Bedfordshire Regiment for his training and was posted to Lincolnshire Regiment as Private 43826, 7th Platoon, B Company in the 7th (Service) Battalion. This Battalion was part of 51 Brigade, 17th (Northern) Division and been in France since Jul 1915 taking part in the Battles of the Somme 1916, Arras and Passchendaele (3rd Ypres) 1917.
Maurice went to join them in field in late 1917 (when aged over 18 years for foreign active service). In early 1918 the Germans launched their Spring Offensive and Maurice was posted Missing and his death was presumed killed in action on 23 Mar 1918 during the Battle of St Quentin (21-23 Mar). His remains were not recovered and he is remembered on the Arras Memorial.
Additional Information
War Gratuity of £6 and arrears of £8 10s 10d was paid to his father
Bingo794 (Great War Forum) has his medals.
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
Dan Hill, Louise Fryer, Jonty Wild
