REGIMENTAL QUARTERMASTER SERGEANT 12914 MAURICE DACRE, 8th BATTALION WEST RIDING REGIMENT.

REGIMENTAL QUARTERMASTER SERGEANT 12914 MAURICE DACRE, 8th BATTALION WEST RIDING REGIMENT. DIED 15th OCTOBER 1917, AGED 26

On 31st August 1914 Maurice Dacre and his older Brian attended a meeting in the Kings Hall in Ilkley where they volunteered for the service in the British Army. Along with 130 other local men they enlisted in what became 'A' Company 9th West Riding Regiment and known as the Ilkley Pals.

Maurice was the second of two sons born to William and Helena Dacre who lived at 9 Mount Pleasant, off Cowpasture Road. William was a well known local auctioneer and in time both his sons would join the firm. The Dacre family were Methodists who worshiped at Christchurch on The Grove and both sons were educated at Ilkley Grammar School.

Within days of enlisting Maurice and his brother and the rest of the Ilkley Pals set off to Wool in Dorset where they began their training. Clearly, Maurice impressed his superiors and relatively quickly was promoted through the ranks eventually becoming Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant. This was a Warrant Officer rank and the second most senior non-commissioned man in the regiment. It also appears that in May 1915 he was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant, although, this was rescinded 4 days later when he reverted to his previous rank.

The 9th West Riding's arrived in France on 15th July 1915 and spent most of the remainder of that year in the Ypres sector. Indeed it was whilst serving at Ypres that Maurice was badly wounded in the thigh by shrapnel when his unit was bombed by a German aeroplane. Another Ilkley Pal, Ernest Chapman would die from wounds received during the same incident. Evacuated to the 17th Casualty Clearing Station he was sent back to England and spent a considerable period of time in Hospital in Sheffield.

Maurice had returned to Ilkley in the Summer of 1916 when he married a local girl Amy Saville just before his return to France. Posted to the 8th Battalion West Riding Regiment he stayed with them until February 1917 when he spent time with a Royal Flying Corps training unit. It was in July 1917 that he was attached to the newly arrived 8th Battalion British West Indies Regiment. This unit was made up of black Caribbean men mainly from Trinidad and Barbados. All were volunteers and the West Indies would provide a total of 7 battalions for service in France. Used mainly in auxiliary roles such as digging trenches and loading ammunition, many were very resentful that they had no chance to fight in the trenches. Nevertheless, their duties took them near to the front line and all the battalions suffered casualties. The officers and senior NCOs were almost entirely white and Maurice, as an experienced sergeant, would have been deliberately chosen to serve with the unit.

In October 1917 the 8th Battalion were in the Ypres sector and on the 15th in camp south of the city. At 2 am they came under heavy German artillery fire which killed one man and wounded over 30 others. Many of the tents were damaged and it was whilst they were being checked that Maurice was found dead. There is no indication that his death was because of the shelling and reports in Ilkley suggest that he had died of pneumonia. However, pneumonia was well understood at the time and always treated in hospital. His service record has not survived and it is almost impossible to state accurately the precise reason for his death.

RQMS Maurice Dacre was buried at Bedford House Cemetery and is remembered with pride on our war memorial in Ilkley. Almost exactly 12 months later his older brother, Brian, would be killed in action.