Maurice Henry Hissey

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Captain Maurice Henry Hissey
2nd Battalion (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) Royal Berkshire Regiment

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 24 Jul 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.

Photo Gallery:

hissey lt

hissey mem hung

royal berkshire

- Regimental Badge of the Royal Berkshires.

- Captain Hissey's name on the Royal Berkshire panel on the Thiepval memorial to the missing.

- Captain Hissey's memorial 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).

At 4.30 the battalion was ordered to withdraw to its original position. The battalion remained in close support trenches until relieved by the 2nd Devonshire Regt. On the night of the 27th October, to Brigade reserve in Punch and Serpentine Trenches.

Casualties during the period were:-
Officers killed 5 (Including Temp Capt M H Hissey), wounded 7 Other Ranks Killed 36, wounded 128, missing 36.