Name
Maurice Hewson Wilkinson (MC)
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
31/07/1917
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Major
Corps of Royal Engineers
177th Company
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Military Cross
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
POPERINGHE NEW MILITARY CEMETERY
II. G. 43.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
GOD ACCEPT HIM CHRIST RECEIVE HIM
UK & Other Memorials
Bushey Town Memorial, St James’ Church Memorial, Bushey
Pre War
Born in the third quarter of 1877, Maurice Hewson Wilkinson was the second son of the Reverend John Wilkinson, the vicar of St Paul’s Church, Gateshead, and Mary Adelaide Tyacke. His parents were married in the third quarter of 1863 in the registration district of St Coulomb in Cornwall.
At the 1881 census, Maurice was four years old and living with his parents and seven siblings at 4 Millicent Terrace in Gateshead. Reverend John and Mary were aged 43 and 39 years respectively and Rev. John was the ‘incumbent’ at St Paul’s Church in Gateshead. Maurice’s siblings were named John R., Josephine M. A., Eleanor M., Helena M., Mary, Maud C., Maurice H. (spelt Morrise) and Leonard, and their ages were 16, 14, 12, 11, 10, 7 and 3 years respectively. Birthplaces were given as Ireland for John, Padstow in Cornwall for Mary, Liskeard in Cornwall for John (Jnr.), Bishopstone (Nr Salisbury) in Wiltshire for Josephine, Devizes in Wiltshire for Eleanor and Helena, Bodmin in Cornwall for Mary and Gateshead in Durham for Maud and Maurice. Also present was Lydia Donkin, a general domestic servant.
Mary Adelaide died in the second quarter of 1882 in the registration district of Gateshead and John married Ethel Mary Hurford in the second quarter 0f 1887 in the Fulham registration district.
At the 1891 census, the family had moved to 65 Derwentwater Road in Gateshead. John, now aged 53, is the vicar at St Paul’s Church and Ethel is 35 years old. John (Jnr.), Josephine, Eleanor and Helena were no longer living at home, but Mary (Jnr.), Maud, Maurice and Leonard now had a three-year-old brother named David, a ten-year-old stepsister named Alice M Hurford and an eight-year-old stepbrother named Cedric A.C. Hurford. Also present were a cook and a housemaid.
At the 1901 census, Maurice was boarding with the Stockton family at Daisy Hill in Benfieldside, Consett, County Durham. He was 24 years old and working as a mining surveyor. By the time of the 1911 census, he had moved to Marley Hill in Swalwell, Wickham, County Durham where he was boarding with the Cawthorn family. He was working as a coal mining engineer surveyor.
Wartime Service
Maurice Hewson Wilkinson gained a commission as 2nd Lieutenant with the South Wales Borderers before transferring to the Royal Engineers where he was promoted to Major, serving on the western front with 177 Tunnelling Company. He was awarded the Military Cross, an award for officers instituted in 1914 for gallantry in the presence of the enemy.
In a letter written to his sister-in-law on 26th June 1917, he said that his Commanding Officer had been killed and he was in temporary command. It was very lively, and they were ‘getting it hot’. (Tunnellers Memorial website – researched by Alywn Jones).
Maurice was killed by a shell on 31st July 1917, whilst on the way to the front line. He was entitled to the British War, Victory and 15 Star medals, his qualifying date being 1 July 1915. He is remembered with honour at Poperinghe New Military Cemetery, near Ypres. The personal inscription on his grave states: “GOD ACCEPT HIM CHRIST RECEIVE HIM”.
Maurice’s medal card gives the address of his brother, Rev. J. R. Wilkinson, as Winford Rectory, Bristol. One of his other brothers, Leonard Wilkinson, was a chartered accountant and lived with his wife at 10 Avenue Rise in Bushey and must have put Maurice’s name forward for inclusion on the memorial in St James’ Church.
The death of Maurice was announced in the local press and in the London Times of Wednesday August 8, 1917, which read: “WILKINSON - Killed in action on 31st July. Major Maurice Hewson Wilkinson, M.C. R.E., second son of the late Revd. John Wilkinson and brother of the Revd. J. R. Wilkinson, Rector of Winford, Somerset, and Leonard Wilkinson, Bushey, Herts.”
Major M H Wilkinson also appears under the heading ‘Fallen Officers’ in the Times edition of Tuesday August 28, 1917. Killed in action MC.
There is an entry for Maurice in the National Probate Calendar for 1918 which read: “WILKINSON Maurice Hewson of Men Ton Kon Tientsin China major R.E. died 31 July 1917 in Belgium Administration (with Will) London 10 April to Leonard Wilkinson accountant. Effects £744 19s 3d.”
Additional Information
Dianne Payne - www.busheyworldwarone.org.uk, Jonty Wild
Acknowledgments
Andrew Palmer
Dianne Payne - www.busheyworldwarone.org.uk, Jonty Wild
