CRICH PARISH

Crich, Fritchley, Whatstandwell, Bullbridge, Crich Carr, Coddington, Wheatcroft, Wakebridge

Maurice Mee (1887–1972)

Private

Photos courtesy Mervyn Rodgers

Biography
Courtesy Mervyn Rodgers

Will Maurice Mee – known as Maurice – was born at Crich Carr on 12 November 1887. He was the sixth of the seven children of William Mee and Lydia Yates, with five brothers and a sister, though one of the brothers died in infancy. He was raised at Crich Carr, from where his father worked as a stone mason.

Prior to his military service during the war, Maurice had been employed in the warehouse of the wireworks of Richard Johnson and Nephew Ltd at Ambergate. He married Elizabeth Amatt in 1914 and they would have three children, two girls and a boy. By the time of his enlistment in 1916, the family had moved to live at Lower Hartshay, on the outskirts of Ripley.

Maurice’s army service records have survived. He enlisted for service as a Private in June 1916 and was called up for service at Ilkeston later in the year, in December. He was subsequently posted to the Army Service Corps in January 1917, with the rank of Driver. Arriving in France in May 1917, Maurice initially provided support to railway and forestry companies of the Royal Engineers and subsequently served as a lorry driver in several mechanical transport companies of the Army Service Corps, latterly with the 406 Mechanical Transport Company. He returned to England in October 1919 and was demobilised in the November. Maurice was awarded the Victory Medal and British War Medal.

After he was honourably discharged from the army, Maurice returned to his home at Lower Hartshay. The majority of his working life was spent in the employment of British Celanese Ltd at Spondon, and later at the Belper hosiery manufacturer Brettles, from where he retired at seventy years of age.

Will Maurice Mee passed away at Derby in 1972, aged eighty-five years. His ashes were interred in Holloway Cemetery, near Crich.

Maurice’s brother Clement John Mee is also included on the Roll of Honour, as are his cousins Francis Edward Else, Edwin Eperson, Robert Walter William Wass, George Yates and John Yates. These were all grandsons of Walter Yates, a farmer at Crich Carr who, upon his death in 1910, was the oldest resident in the Parish of Crich, at about ninety-two years of age.

Medal Roll Index Card
ASC He was awarded the Victory and British War Medals.
The Army Service Corps (ASC) became the Royal Army Service Corps (RASC) in 1918.

Army Service Record
He joined at Ilkeston on the 28 December 1916, aged 27 years 1 month; a married warehouseman born at Whatstandwell. His address was Lower Harsay, Ripley. His height was 5ft 4½ in and weight 112lb. The next of kin was his wife Elizabeth Mee (née Amatt) whom he married on 21 December 1914 in Holloway.
07/02/17 until 12/02/17 in hospital with scabies.
17/05/17 Embarked Southampton to Havre on SS Hunslett
25/05/17 to 33 Aux P Coy
29/05/17 to 365 Coy RE
10/12/17 to 118 Railway Coy RE
29/05/17 to 365 Forestry Coy RE
16/01/18 to 365 Forestry Coy RE
01/04/18 to 3rd Railway Rep Shop
02/04/18 to 3rd Army Troops Motor Transport Coy
01/04/18 to MTRVP
12/04/18 to 565 MT Coy
18/06/18 to 883 MT Coy
22/07/18 to 05/08/18 Leave
14/11/18 to 406 MT Coy
25/04/19 to 07/05/19 Leave
19/11/19 he was described as sober, reliable and intelligent.
26/10/19 to No 1 Cons Camp Cologne for disembarkation
21/11/19 Demobilized

Maurice Mee's brother Clement Mee is also on the Roll of Honour.

CENSUS INFORMATION

1901: Crich Carr

Forename	Surname	Relationship	Age	Occupation	Where born
William	Mee	Head	48	Stone mason	North Stapleford
Lydia	Mee	wife	50		Cromford
Clement	Mee	son	20	Joiner	Crich
Oscar	Mee	son	18	Wire mill labourer	Crich
Muriel * [Maurice]	Mee	son	12		Crich
Stanley	Mee	son	9		Crich

RG13 Piece:3231; Folio: 49; Page:17

1911: Crich Carr

Forename	Surname	Relationship	Age	Occupation	Where born
William	Mee	Head	58	Stone mason	North Stapleford
Lydia		wife	60		Cromford
Murice		son	22	Wire manufacturer Warehouse	Crich
Stanley		son	18	Grocers assistant	Crich

RG14PN20985 RG78PN1251 RD436 SD4 ED14 SN49

1939 Register: Bridle Lane, Lower Hartshay
Will Maurice Mee b.12 November 1880 ; plastic worker
Elizabeth Mee b.5 October 1891
Enid Amat Rodgers (Mee) b.10 August 1924
two closed records
[Note: Will Maurice Mee was born 12 November 1887]

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