Maurice Bertrand was born in Paris on 30th August 1881. He began his literary career at the age of twenty at the “Revue mondaine”. After military service, he married and went to live in penury in Brazil. His wife left him and one of his daughters died at the age of seven. Maurice wrote poetry which was published in “Dlrilège des Poètes du Verbe”. When he returned to France, he sent his work to the monthly publication “L’Audace Littéraire” which later became “Comme il vous plaira”. Maurice also used the pen-name Yves-le-Hâleur.
Maurice joined the 346th Regiment of the French
Army in September 1914 and fought in the Battles of the Ardennes and in
Lorraine. He was killed at
Colincamps, Somme on 7th October 1914 at the age of thirty-three.
Sources: “The Lost Voices of World War 1” compiled by Tim
Cross and published by Bloomsbury, London in 1988 and "Anthologie des
Ecrivains morts à la guerre 1914 - 1918" (Association des Ecrivains
Combattants, Amiens, 1924 -26, 5 volumes), edited by Thierry Sandre.
