| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
19 year old Maurice Ashby was commissioned into the RAF on 27 Apr 1918. After receiving five weeks basic training as an observer he was posted to 42nd Squadron in northern France on 3 Jun 1918, going into combat on 6 Jun. After only having limited flying time of 12 hours 30 minutes he was killed in a flying accident at Treizennes, Aire. On the morning of 4 Jul 1918 his plane took off, nosedived and crashed; both Maurice and his pilot were killed and the aircraft was destroyed by fire. He was the second member of the Ashby family to die in the war: His older brother, 2nd Lt Donald Jesse Ashby of the 1/4th East Yorkshire Regiment had been killed on 17 Jul 1916 aged 18. Maurice is buried in the Aire Communal Cemetery at Aire-sur-la-Lys.
Maurice was born in Sculcoates, on 26 Jun 1899. His parents were Frederick James Ashby of Warboys, Huntingdonshire, and Harriet Anne Ashby (nee Grassam) of Hull. In 1901 they were living at 9 Dewsbury St, Sculcoates, Hull, his father's cycle making and repair business was at 43 Paragon St, Hull. The family moved to Beverley and living at 8 Willow Lane; the family business was then at 33 North Bar Within.
Maurice attended the Spencer Council School in Beverley before going to Beverley Grammar School in Sep 1911, leaving in Jul 1914. The Beverley Guardian of 13 Jul 1918 noted that he had, "a particular interest in dramatic entertainment and school functions". He was also been a member of the Beverley Church Lads Brigade. He went to work at his father's cycle business before joining the RAF in 1918. He was unmarried.
Maurice is remembered along with his brother in a Memorial window at Toll Gavel Wesleyan Chapel, Beverley. He is also remembered on the Hengate War Memorial, the East Riding Memorial in Beverley Minster, on St Mary's Church Roll of Honour and on the Church Lads Brigade Roll of Honour in George St, Beverley
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |