Captain Charles Carus Maud Somerset Light Infantry was killed in action on the Western Front on 19 December 1914.
Maud was born 15 January 1875, the youngest son of Lieutenant Colonel William Sheres Maud RE and Mrs W S Maud of Milton House, Bournemouth.
He was educated at Wellington, in the Picton, and was commissioned into the Somerset Light Infantry from the Militia January 1896.
He served during the South African War taking part in the operations in the Transvaal and received the Queen’s Medal with two clasps. He also served in Northern Nigeria during the Kano-Sokoto Campaign, taking part in the operations in the district of the east of Zaria.
He was promoted Captain on 3 February 1904 and took part in the Sokoto-Burmi operations, being was Mentioned in Despatches and was created a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order:
“Charles Carus Maud, Captain, The Prince Albert’s (Somerset Light Infantry). For services during operations in Northern Nigeria, 1903-4”
In the Sudan in 1908, Captain Maud took part in the operations in the Jebal Nyima District of Southern Kordofan and was awarded the Egyptian Medal with clasp, and the 4th Class Mejidie and Mentioned in Despatches.
Captain Maud was killed in action 19 December 1914. The battalion was one of those that took part in the Christmas Truce and the 1/Somersets War Diary for 25th December 1914 states:
“At Ploegsteert officers of the 1/Somersets met some German officers half way between the trenches and it was arranged that the Somersets would bring in their dead for burial in their own battalion cemetery. The bodies of Captain Maud, Captain Orr, and 2/Lt Henson were brought in also those of 18 NCO’s and men. They were buried the same day”.
He had fallen in one of a series of attacks launched in the sector to try and catch the Germans off balance before Christmas.
He was initiated into Malmesbury Lodge No 3156.
He also fell with Old Etonian Brother Captain Richard Morgan-Grenfell of United Lodge No 1529 and of 1st Bttn the Rifle Brigade.
In recent news the family of Captain Robert Harley Egerton Bennett found a series of photographs Bennett took in Ypres between late 1914 and early 1915. He was a friend of Maud’s and he took one of Maud’s grave:
