AVM A C Maund CB CBE DSO

Arthur Clinton Maund was the son of Edward Arthur Maund and of Eleanora Maund (nee Hawksworth).  His grave stone opened up one of the most fascinating families I have found to date and hence this post is one of the longer posts in the series.

Born on 22 July 1891 in Westminster, Arthur Maund was born to a well to do and interesting family. His father was the famous African Explorer Edward Maund and Company Director of the British South Africa Company. He was commissioned by the National Geographic Society, to put Matabeleland on the map. Arthur’s mother, Eleanora Hawksworth was a suffragette who deliberately crossed her name out in protest at the 1911 census.

The eldest of five siblings, Arthur was always going to be expected to do well and he did not disappoint. Neither did his siblings who all went on to have illustrious careers in the armed forces themselves as the list below demonstrates:

• Arthur Clinton Maund – Enlisted in the Light Canadian Infantry at the outbreak of WWI. In 1918 he attested to the Royal Flying Corps (the precursor to the RAF) as an Observer with 8 Squadron . He then transferred to the Royal Air Force. After flying training, he served as a pilot with 7 squadron. He served with the Russian mission on the Galician front in 1917, and with the North Russian Expeditionary Force at Archangel in A permanent commission was granted to him in 1920 with the rank of Squadron Leader. During the 1920s and 1030s he served at various RAF posts and was promoted to Air Marshal in 1939.  He died in the RAF Hospital at Halton of heart disease.
  Awards:
  • DSO in WWI as an Acting Major on Jan 1st 1918
  • Croix de Guerre on April 18th 1918 as a temporary Lieutenant Colonel
  • CBE during the Russian Civil War as Acting Wing Commander July 12th 1920
  • CB during WWI as Air Vice Marshall on 24th September 1941 “in recognition of distinguished services rendered in operational commands of the RAF during the period 1st October 1940 to 31st March 1941,
  • British War Medal (1914 – 1920)
  • Victory Medal (1914 – 1918)
  • 1939 – 1945 Star
  • Defence Medal (1939 – 1945)
  • War Medal GSM (1939 – 1945)
• Loben Edward Harold Maund (26 September 1892 – 18 June 1957) – Joined the Royal Navy on 15 September 1905 and he was trained at the Royal Naval Colleges at Osborne and Dartmouth. He was the captain of the aircraft carrier Ark Royal when she was sunk in November 1941, but went on to serve in Combined Operations, playing an important role in the development of landing craft. Maund became a director of the scientific instrument makers A. Kershaw & Sons, Ltd. of Leeds, and wrote a book Assault from the Sea, published in 1949 by Methuen & Co., London, which was his account of the development of the Royal Navy’s landing craft and their use operationally between 1939 and 1945
• Geoffrey Richard Gwynned Maund (1894 – 1942) – Served with the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) in WWI as a Sub Lieutenant and then in WWII joined the Royal Air Force. He was taken prisoner of war by Japanese in Jakarta and died on 27th September 1942. It is believed that he was buried at sea.
• Hugh Bingham Maund (1896 – 1975) – Hugh was a Captain in the Royal Naval Air Service andRoyal Air Force serving in 10N (RNAS) and 204sqn and 210sqn (RAF). He flew Sopwith Camels in WWI.
• Cicely Eleanora Miele Maund (1896 – 1977) – Travelled extensively with her husband Major Alan Sidney Whitehorn Dore DSO. Dore was commissioned in to the 1st Volunteer Battalion Worcestershire Regiment in 24th March 1906. He was promoted to Lieutenant and the 21st January 1907. On the 24th March 1916 he was seconded for duty as an Observer with the Royal Flying Corps. Appointed Flying Officer on the 3rd November 1916. He learnt to fly on BE’s with 13 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps and then joined 43rd Squadron as a Flying Officer. He later took command of 43rd Squadron on the 6th March 1917 with the rank of Flight Commander. During his last few day in command of 43rd Squadron, September 1917, he shot down a German plane. In 1917 he was mentioned in despatches twice (London Gazette dates 04/01/1917 and 11/12/1917). Major Dore was Awarded the D.S.O. (London Gazette dated 1st January 1918) and appointed Temporary Lieut.-Colonel on the 11th March 1918.  On the 19th March 1930 Lieut-Colonel Alan Sidney Whitehorn Dore, D.S.O. raised and was the original commander of No. 604 ( County of Middlesex ) Squadron, Auxiliary Air Force. He was given the rank of Squadron Leader (Honorary Wing Commander). He commanded this squadron until the 8th April 1935. This squadron later flew night-fighter Blenheims in the Battle of Britain.
  On the 1st June 1936 he was appointed to the General List in the rank of Wing Commander.  In 1949 he was awarded a C.B. (Order of Bath, third class) in the Kings Birthday honours (London Gazette 9th June 1949) and listed with the rank of Group-Captain . At the time he was Chairman of Territorial and Auxiliary Forces Association of the County of Middlesex.

 

Name: 01204 Air Vice Marshall Arthur Clinton Maund CB, CBE, DSO, Croix de Guerre.
Died: 13th December 1942, Aged 51
Grave: 22. B. 1.
Info: ONLY THE ACTIONS OF THE JUST SMELL SWEET AND BLOSSOM IN THEIR DUST
Family:  Son of Edward Arthur Maund and of Eleanora Maund (nee Hawksworth); husband of Marguerite Alice Elizabeth Maund (nee Hill), of St. Marylebone, London.