Captain Maurice Jeffrey Savory

Captain Maurice Jeffrey Savory was born on 2 October 1894.

He went to Winchester College from Mr AF Saunders’ school at Horsell in September 1908. He was in I House, Turner’s, and was a a House Prefect in 1913. Maurice reached Sixth Book, devoting himself with special interest to scientific work. He also shot at Bisley for the Cadet Pair in 1911 and shot in the Bisley VIII in 1912 and 1913.

On leaving school in the summer of 1913, Maurice he studied Law and then in September 1914 he obtained a commission in 9th Battalion, Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment.

He was one of several former pupils of Malcolm Robertson, a master at Winchester College who joined the 9th Battalion The Duke of Wellington’s Regiment at the outbreak of the war, the Battalion then being station at Wimborne in Dorset.

He went to France with the Battalion in July 1915, aged 20, and saw active service on the Western Front. He was given command of a company in January 1916, aged 21.

One of the action in which he was involved resulted in Maurice acquiring the Iron Cross of a German Officer. The Cross is now in the regimental museum of the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment and an accompanying note, written by Major M. Robertson (Maurice’s former master at Winchester College), explains the circumstances:

“This Iron Cross was taken off the dead body of an enormous German officer, shot by Captain Maurice Savory (O.C. ‘D’ Company 9th Battalion The Duke of Wellington’s Regiment) on 26th April 1916. The Germans wanted one of the first Stokes mortars taken into the line and after a three hour bombardment, during which Maurice Jeffrey Savory was wounded slightly but refused to leave the Company, they raided the trenches by ‘D’ Company. Maurice although shot first and badly wounded, killed the leader and two other Germans…the raid was repelled and the gun saved.”

He returned to France in January 1917 where his battalion was being held in reserve at La Neuville. They then began to rotate in and out of the line, and on the night of 1 February, at Sailly Saillisel, suffered many casualties from shelling, including Captain Savory who was wounded. Maurice died of wounds on 3rd February 1917, aged just 22. His name is recorded in the Roll of Honour Book of The Duke of Wellington’s Regiment in the Regimental Chapel in York Minister and in the Memorial Book of the 9th Battalion which is in Halifax Parish Church.

Winchester College at War.