Maurice entered the Royal Navy as a paymaster cadet on leaving school in 1933, and after training at HMS Frobisher he then served from 1934-1936 on board HMS Suffolk, HMS Cornwall, and HMS Medway on the China Station, receiving his commission on 1^st May 1936.

In 1937, after qualifying as an interpreter in French, he joined the cruiser HMS Neptune on the Africa Station, and was later appointed to the staff of the Commander-in-Chief, Vice-Admiral George Hamilton D’Oyly Lyon.

In 1944, whilst serving as Secretary to the Flag Officer, Western Italy, Maurice was re-patriated back to his home in South Africa suffering from malignant hypertension. Briefly recovering, his final posting was as the Naval Paymaster based at HMS Afrikander, a South African naval base at Simon’s Town, where he died in the Royal Naval Hospital on 20^th January 1945 at the age of 28. He now lies buried at Simon’s Town (Dido Valley) Cemetery.

Son of the Hon Mr Justice Andrew Kingsbury Overend KC, & Olive Rosaleen Overend, Dublin, Ireland.

Husband of Carrol Elizabeth Overend [neé Hamilton]; married January 1940, of Kidderminster, Worcestershire: their son Sean Overend [b.1941] became a circuit court judge on the western circuit in England, retiring in 2006.

A copy of Maurice's story may be downloaded here.

Revised: November 2025