Maurice James Dease
Encyclopedia
Maurice James Dease VC
(28 September 1889 – 23 August 1914) was a British Army officer
during the First World War. He was one of the first British officer battle casualties of the war and the first posthumous recipient of the Victoria Cross
in that war.
, Ireland
to Edmund F. and Katherine M. Dease. He was educated at Stonyhurst College
and the Army Department of Wimbledon College
before attending the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. He was 24 years old, and a lieutenant
in the 4th Battalion, The Royal Fusiliers, and was awarded the VC for his actions on 23 August 1914, at Mons
, Belgium
.
Nimy Bridge was being defended by a single company of Royal Fusiliers and a machine-gun section with Dease in command. The gun fire was intense, and the casualties very heavy, but the lieutenant went on firing in spite of his wounds, until he was hit for the fifth time and was carried away.
Dease won the first Victoria Cross to be awarded in the Great War, 1914–1918, and he also won it on the first day of the first significant British encounter in that war. Dease is buried at St Symphorien military cemetery
, Belgium.
He is remembered with a plaque on Nimy Bridge, Mons and in Westminster Cathedral
. His name is on the Wayside Cross in Woodchester, Stroud, Gloucestershire
. His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Royal Fusiliers Museum in the Tower of London
.
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
(28 September 1889 – 23 August 1914) was a British Army officer
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
during the First World War. He was one of the first British officer battle casualties of the war and the first posthumous recipient of the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
in that war.
Career
Dease was born on 28 September 1889 in Gaulstown, Coole, County WestmeathCoole, County Westmeath
Coole is a village in County Westmeath, Ireland, on the R395 regional road. It is situated on a plateau that overlooks the part of the Bog of Allen, cultivated for peat for fuel consumption purposes by Bórd na Móna, the government-owned peat production industry and for garden plant soil compost...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
to Edmund F. and Katherine M. Dease. He was educated at Stonyhurst College
Stonyhurst College
Stonyhurst College is a Roman Catholic independent school, adhering to the Jesuit tradition. It is located on the Stonyhurst Estate near the village of Hurst Green in the Ribble Valley area of Lancashire, England, and occupies a Grade I listed building...
and the Army Department of Wimbledon College
Wimbledon College
Wimbledon College is a government-maintained voluntary-aided Jesuit Roman Catholic high school for boys aged 11 to 19. The school is based at Edge Hill, Wimbledon, London. It was founded in 1892 "for improvement in living and learning to the greater glory of God and the common good"...
before attending the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. He was 24 years old, and a lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in the 4th Battalion, The Royal Fusiliers, and was awarded the VC for his actions on 23 August 1914, at Mons
Mons
Mons is a Walloon city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut, of which it is the capital. The Mons municipality includes the old communes of Cuesmes, Flénu, Ghlin, Hyon, Nimy, Obourg, Baudour , Jemappes, Ciply, Harmignies, Harveng, Havré, Maisières, Mesvin, Nouvelles,...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
.
Nimy Bridge was being defended by a single company of Royal Fusiliers and a machine-gun section with Dease in command. The gun fire was intense, and the casualties very heavy, but the lieutenant went on firing in spite of his wounds, until he was hit for the fifth time and was carried away.
Dease won the first Victoria Cross to be awarded in the Great War, 1914–1918, and he also won it on the first day of the first significant British encounter in that war. Dease is buried at St Symphorien military cemetery
St Symphorien Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery
The St Symphorien military cemetery is a First World War burial ground 2 km east of Mons in the Belgian province of Hainaut. It was created and maintained by the German army from August 1914 until November 1918, when it passed into Allied hands, and it contains the graves of 229 Commonwealth...
, Belgium.
He is remembered with a plaque on Nimy Bridge, Mons and in Westminster Cathedral
Westminster Cathedral
Westminster Cathedral in London is the mother church of the Catholic community in England and Wales and the Metropolitan Church and Cathedral of the Archbishop of Westminster...
. His name is on the Wayside Cross in Woodchester, Stroud, Gloucestershire
Stroud, Gloucestershire
Stroud is a market town and civil parish in the county of Gloucestershire, England. It is the main town in Stroud District.Situated below the western escarpment of the Cotswold Hills at the meeting point of the Five Valleys, the town is noted for its steep streets and cafe culture...
. His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Royal Fusiliers Museum in the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
.
Sources
- The Register of the Victoria CrossThe Register of the Victoria CrossThe Register of the Victoria Cross is a reference work that provides brief information on every Victoria Cross ever awarded: it provides a summary of the deed, along with a photograph of the awardee and the following details where applicable or available; rank, unit, other decorations, date of...
(1981, 1988 and 1997) - Irelands VCs (Dept of Economic Development 1995)
- Monuments to CourageMonuments to CourageMonuments to Courage: Victoria Cross Monuments and Headstones is a two-volume book by David Harvey on the last resting places of 1,322 of the 1,350 recipients of the Victoria Cross. The 896 page book has over 5,000 illustrations and a large index enabling one to cross reference with ease. There is...
(David Harvey, 1999) - Irish Winners of the Victoria Cross' (Richard Doherty & David Truesdale, 2000)
- "Elegant Extracts", The Royal Fusiliers Recipients of the VC (J.P. Kelleher, 2001)
- Royal Fusiliers Recipients of the Victoria Cross