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Local Information:
Captain Hissey was the son of A. Hissey and Mary D. Hissey, of North Standen, Hungerford.
On the outbreak of the First World War he joined the 4th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment a territorial unit as a Private Soldier (No 2479). At that time his address was shown as
55 St Martins, Stanford and his trade was shown as a clerk, age 30. He signed on for the duration of the war and agreed to Foreign Service on the 28th August 1914 at Luton.
He was promoted to the rank of Corporal on the 23rd February 1915 and on the 1st March 1915 he went to France with the Lincolnshire Regiment remaining until the 24th July 1915.
He was then discharged to a commission and after officer training posted to the 2nd Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment, a regular unit. He was promoted to the rank of captain on the 2nd July 1916. (This
was to replace the losses sustained by the battalion the day before on the 'First day of the Somme').
He was killed in action on the 26th October 1916. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing.
The following day a letter was sent by Captain Astley another Hungerford
Soldier serving in the 1st Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment to his Aunt Mary (Mary Hissey) about the death of Maurice Hissey he wrote…… "I heard that Maurice had been killed in action last
night in a letter from one of his fellow captains in our 2nd battalion"………." I know very little of how Maurice was killed but I do know that it was leading his company in the attack
across the open in which the 2nd battalion took part just lately somewhere south of the river Ancre"
[Captain Edward Dugdale D'Oyley Astley was another Hungerford soldier who was killed in France on the 1st June 1918 – He is also commemorated on the war memorial]
After the death of Captain Hissey his effects were returned to his father who enquired as to the whereabouts of his field glasses. He returned a cheque book sent in error but
accepted an automatic pistol.
Captain Hissey is also commemorated in St Lawrence's Church, Hungerford.
Regimental Information:
The War Diary (covering period 23rd-27th October 1916) reads:
23.10.1916:
At Zero hour the Battalion moved up and occupied the trenches vacated by the 2nd Battalion Lincoln Regt. At 3.07pm 'C' and 'B' Companies were ordered to
reinforce the Lincolns.
At 4.04pm 'A' Company was ordered to support the 2nd Battalion Rifle Brigade in the 1st Objective and then to attack Zenith trench. 'B' Company were ordered, if the
opportunity offered, to attack Zenith Trench from the front, with 'A' Company attacking from the North West flank (The attack failed owing to heavy MG and rifle fire being brought to bear on them from
Zenith Trench).
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 "Royal Berkshire(w)")
 "Hissey Lt(w)")
 "HISSEY MEM HUNG(w)")