Harrogate service pays tribute to Second World War hero and 'cheeky chappie' who was loved by all

The remarkable Maurice Albert Hammond, who died aged 95 on July 18, was a hero at D Day as a teenage signalman aboard HMS Warspite under enemy fire during the Normandy landings.

His quiet heroism in helping bring an end to Nazi Germany’s domination of Europe saw Mr Hammond taking part in engagements on HMS Warspite in the cities of Brest and Le Havre in August 1944, The Battle of Walcheren in Holland in November 1944, and aboard aboard HMS Cowdray in Norway in 1945 and Bavaria during the Nuremberg trials in 1946.

As a signalman he had a crucial job - communicating with other battleships at sea during engagements with the enemy and also letting everyone know whether the Warspite’s deadly shells were landing where they should have.

The packed congregation at Stonefall Crematorium on Monday heard how his strength of character had proved itself when one of the messages he took via morse code during the war turned out to be about his own father's illness and impending death.

The assembled mourners also heard that the much-loved Mr Hammond had been a man of life with great sense of fun.

Speaking in front of a glinting stained glass window, the Reverend Father Stephen Webb said there was more to Maurice than the events of June 6, 1944.

"He lived life to the full to the very end.

"He was also a cheeky chappie with a twinkle in his eye.

"He made a lasting impression on everyone he met."

Family members, including his son Maurice Hammond Junior and daughter Josephine McDaid, stepped up to share their memories and pay personal tribute.

There was a reading from the book of Ecclesiastes by Charles.

The Resonsorial Psalm was read by Josephine.

There were bidding prayers led by James, Sean and Christopher.

And Maurice and Vicki delivered eulogies.

His son Maurice Junior reiterated what all those who made the journey from their homes on the map of Mr Hammond’s peacetime life which had seen him move from Ipswich to Glasgow, then from Blackpool to Harrogate felt – he always put his family first.

"Maurice was a loving husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather. His was a life well lived,” his son told mourners.

“He was a modest man of great courage with a super sense of fun.”

"On being demobbed he came to Glasgow to court and marry Mary after he had met her at a dance when on shore leave at Rothesay during the war.

"He got a job in the shipyards. In those grim post war times a southern Englishman working on the Clyde showed considerable bravery in itself.

“He moved to Blackpool to open a guest house and then worked at BAE Systems at Wharton.

“Once again he was known to everyone for his conspicuous sense of fun - no mean feat in such a large establishment.

“His interests were varied but he shared a love of sequence dancing with Mary and they often led the dances at their regular tea dances.

“On retirement to Harrogate to be near his daughter Jo he continued to make the abiding impression on everyone he met.”

Born in 1926 and nicknamed “Titch” because of his height, Maurice came from a family of six brothers and sisters in Ipswich when lifewas tough.

But no matter how bad the times, Maurice only saw the positive side of things.

As Mr Hammond's coffin lay draped in a British flag with his naval cap and golfing cap placed on top, the words of a song from another age touched a nerve inside the crematorium – "there'll be bluebirds over, the white cliffs of Dover, tomorrow, just you wait and see, there'll be love and laughter."

Even after the death of his beloved wife Mary in 2020 in the early days of Covid, Mr Hammond always tried his best to be cheerful and, even, mischievous at times.

He remained a keen dancer and golfer as long as he could.

His sense of humour was not dented by the passing of the years and his habit of cultivating friends never ended.

A devoted and hard-working member of St Joseph's Catholic Church in Harrogate, Maurice treated everyone like family.

As Monday’s service neared its end, the Reverend Father Stephen Webb sprinkled holy water on the coffin, making the final committal as summer light streamed in from the sunny day outside.

Harrogate man Maurice Hammond’s Second World War saw him serve as a signalman, firstly, on HMS Warspite and then on HMS Cowdray.

When looking back on those days for the Harrogate Advertiser, Mr Hammond always showed a sense of proportion.

“I could take down six words a minute flashing and 12 in Semaphore,” he remembered.

“Anyone can send a message quickly but the trick is not to send one quicker than anyone can read it.”

Of D-Day in 1944, he said: “I never worried on HMS Warspite.

“The Germans were firing 11-inch guns on us from land but they didn’t reach us; they would just hit the water."

And he made light of the risks, real as they were.

“As a signalman, I was allowed on the ship’s bridge with the captain and got a good view of things.

“I’d see bodies floating past, drowned but we couldn’t stop to pick them up.”

“I helped a wee bit in the war but most of the good work was done before I joined. I treated the navy as a holiday, not a war.”