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Murdered on way to Beggars Brook Barracks to summon reinforcements. Killed 21/11/1920 aged 24
He had been a lieutenant in the Machine Gun Corps and lived in Micham. He was 22 years old, had served in France and had joined the Auxiliaries on 12 Oct 1920.
1898 born Marylebone
1911 census Cecil Augustus Morris, aged 14 living with parents at 192 Mitcham Road, Croydon.
Joined 17 Lancers Private 6539,
1914 Landed in France 8 Nov 1914
1916 Dec 10 transferred to MGC
1917 Oct 25, commissioned
1918 Feb 16 C. A. Morris. Lancers, 2nd Lt to be Lt Gazette
1918 May 24 C.A Morris, M.C. to be temp Capt Gazette
1920 Oct 12 joined the Auxiliaries
Two members of the Auxiliary Cadet Division, Temporary Cadets Frank Garniss and Cecil A. Morris were among a patrol of 17 Auxiliaries who responded to the scene of one of the attacks, armed with .45 caliber Webley revolvers and a carbine. The Auxiliaries had been alerted by the screaming of the maids. Garniss and Morris, were sent to Beggar’s Bush barracks for reinforcements. But they were met by some of the IRA guards posted around the house, brought to the garden of 16 Northumberland Road and shot. Both men were shot through the head but Carniss was also shot through the chest. The officer who found them testified ‘ I saw wounds in their heads which must have been fired at close range as their hair and skin was burnt.
Hansard report says The maid opened the door at 22 Lower Mount St and twenty men rushed in, and demanded to know the bedrooms of Mr. Mahon (Angliss) and Mr. Peel. Mr. Mahon's room was pointed out. They entered, and five shots were fired immediately at a few inches range. Mr. Mahon was killed. At the same time others attempted to enter Mr. Peel's room. The door was locked. Seventeen shots were fired through the panels. Mr. Peel escaped uninjured. Meanwhile another servant, hearing the shots, shouted from an upper window to a party of officers of the Auxiliary Division who had left Beggars Bush Barracks to catch an early train southward for duty. These officers at once attacked the house, after despatching two of their number, Temporary Cadets Morris and Garniss, to their depôt for reinforcements. They chased the assassins through the house and captured one whom their fire had wounded, and three others, all of whom were armed. Reinforcements on arrival were asked the whereabouts of Morris and Garniss, but replied that they knew nothing, and that the cadets had never arrived at the depôt. The reinforcements had arrived, of course, after hearing the firing. Search was made, and the bodies of Cadets Morris and Garniss were found by a Red Cross nurse lying in a neighbouring garden. They had apparently been intercepted by the murderers' pickets, taken to the back of the house, placed against the wall, and murdered. Both these officers had seen considerable service in the recent war in France.