Sir, - In "An Irishman's Diary" (September 11th) Kevin Myers refers to the all but forgotten Irishmen who died in the first World War, in issue 11 of Battle Likes magazine (Journal of the Somme Association) I came across an article about one Maurice James Dease.
He won the first Victoria Cross of the "Great War" on August 23rd, 1914, in the Battle of Mons. His machine gunners were wiped out and Lieutenant Dease manned the machine gun himself. He was hit three or four times throughout the battle, and died later that day of his wounds. There is a memorial plaque to him at Mons and there are memorials to him in a Belgian cemetery and at Westminaster Cathedral.
He was born in 1889 at Gaulstown, Coole, Co Westmeath. I wonder if there is any kind of memorial to Maurice Dease in the place of his birth. - Yours, etc.,
Sheraton Park,
Foylesprings,
Derry.