Alfred Henry Maitland

THE HON. ALFRED HENRY MAITLAND

This post was written by Victoria Doran

Alfred Henry Maitland is another name on the Hoylake Roll of Honour which does not appear on Grange Hill War Memorial. He was an unlikely person to have had a Hoylake connection, being an aristocrat and a Major in the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders. But he did indeed live in Hoylake for up to 4 years just prior to the war.

Alfred Henry Maitland – from Imperial War Museum Archives

The Honourable Henry Alfred Maitland was the 3rd son of the 13th Earl of Lauderdale, and was born on 9 December 1872 in Nowgong, Bengal, India where his father was a serving army officer and had not yet succeeded to his earldom.

Henry joined the 1st Battalion, Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders in June 1894 at the age of 21, having spent time in the Militia. He became a Lieutenant in 1898, taking part in the Nile Expedition that year and being present at the Battles of Atbara and Khartoum. He received the British medal and the Egyptian medal with 2 clasps.

Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders cap badge

In November 1899 he was promoted to Captain and took part in the Boer War. He was involved in many actions all over South Africa including those at Zand River, Pretoria, Diamond Hill, Wittebergen and Ladybrand. He was again decorated, this time with the Queen’s medal with 5 clasps.

From November 1901 to November 1904 he was Adjutant of his battalion. As such he was effectively personal assistant to the Colonel of the battalion. This was followed by a period as Officer of a Company of Cadets at the Royal Military College (Sandhurst). From October 1909 to October 1913 he was an Adjutant to the Territorial Force (only established as such in 1908).

In this latter capacity he came to Hoylake as the Territorial Force in question was the 10th Battalion, King’s Liverpool Regiment, otherwise known as the Liverpool Scottish.

On 5 January 1905 he married Edith Scobell (1884-1963) at St Mary, Bryanston Square, London.

They had 2 daughters whilst he was at Sandhurst, before he took up his new post in Liverpool. In 1911 the family was living at 23 Cable Road, Hoylake.

Many of the officers and other ranks of the Liverpool Scottish lived in the area, such as John Graham. With Alfred’s background, he may well not have felt that the officers were ‘true’ gentlemen. Although invariably with very strong Scottish connections, and having paid to be an officer of the Liverpool Scottish, they all came from merchant backgrounds, rather than the old landed gentry.

In March 1914 he was promoted to Major, and at the outbreak of war he was based at Edinburgh Castle. The Battalion was immediately mobilised and landed in France on 14 August 1914. On the 5 September the battalion was assigned to the 1st Brigade of the 1st Division.

The Battalion was involved in the Battle of the Frontiers, mobile warfare including the Battle of Mons and the Battle of the Marne. On 12 September the Germans changed tactics and started digging trenches on the Aisne. The British did not have adequate entrenching tools or skills, and were at a severe disadvantage. During the attempts to breakthrough, Henry and very many others were killed on the 14th September. The exact circumstances of his death are not known, and some sources give the date as the 16th. His body was not recovered and he is commemorated on the La Ferte sous Jouarre Memorial. He was 41 years old and had been in France exactly one month.

La Ferte sous Jouarre Memorial, France

Edith had probably returned to her origins in Gloucestershire as he is also commemorated on the war memorial at Ashchurch, Gloucestershire. As a member of a Scottish Regiment his name will also appear in the Book of Remembrance in Edinburgh Castle.

Notes
Birth: 9 Dec 1872 at Nowgong, Bengal, India
Death: 14 Sep 1914; missing in action in France
Address: 23 Cable Road, Hoylake (11)
Occupation: Regular army officer
Unit: 1st Battalion, Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders; quondam Adjutant 10th (Liverpool Scottish) Battalion, King’s Liverpool Regiment
Rank: Major
Medals: 14 Star, Victory & British War; British medal, Egyptian medal with 2 clasps; Queen’s medal with 5 clasps
Commemorated: La Ferte sous Jouarre Memorial, France; Hoylake Roll of Honour (now in St Hildeburgh); Ashchurch War Memorial, Gloucestershire; Edinburgh Castle Book of Remembrance
Sources: CWGC, H, MC, SDGW, Census: 11, PR, Probate, Imperial War Museum – Bond of Sacrifice, British Army Lists, Indian baptisms on Ancestry