Maurice Dease

Lieutenant Maurice James Dease VC was a British Army officer and an Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

He served in the Royal Fusiliers during the opening stages of the First World War. He was one of the first British officer battle casualties of the war, dying of wounds received during the Battle of Mons.

Lieutenant Dease was the first officer to posthumously receive the Victoria Cross during the conflict, recognized for his conspicuous bravery in maintaining his machine gun section's defense despite being multiple times severely wounded.