Guy du Maurier facts for kids
Guy Louis Busson du Maurier (born May 18, 1865, in London, England – died March 9, 1915, in Kemmel, Flanders, Belgium) was an English army officer and a playwright. He was the son of the famous writer George du Maurier. His sisters were Sylvia Llewelyn Davies and the actor Gerald du Maurier.
Contents
Guy du Maurier: Soldier and Playwright
Guy du Maurier went to school at Marlborough and then to the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. This is where army officers are trained. He became a lieutenant in the Royal Fusiliers on February 7, 1885. Later, on September 15, 1896, he was promoted to captain.
Serving in the Second Boer War
Guy du Maurier fought in the Second Boer War. This war took place in South Africa. He led a special group of soldiers who rode horses, called mounted infantry. Because of his brave service, he was promoted to major on December 12, 1900. He also received a special award called the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) in October 1902 for his actions in the war.
A Play That Caused a Stir
In 1909, Guy du Maurier became well-known for writing a play called An Englishman's Home. At first, he kept his name a secret. The play was about the Brown family, who get caught up in an invasion of Britain by a foreign country called "Nearland." Many people thought "Nearland" was meant to be Germany.
When the play was shown in Germany, it caused a lot of anger. The German newspapers felt it was clearly talking about their country. Years later, in 1940, the play was made into a movie. It was called "Mad Men of Europe" and was used to spread messages during wartime.
A Link to Peter Pan
Guy du Maurier had a special connection to the story of Peter Pan. When his sister, Sylvia, passed away, she asked him to help look after her sons. These boys, known as the Llewelyn Davies boys, were the inspiration for the characters in J. M. Barrie's famous Peter Pan stories. Guy became a co-guardian for them, helping to care for them as they grew up.
His Final Service in World War I
Guy du Maurier served in the army one last time during World War I. He was killed in action in Flanders, Belgium, in 1915. The author J. M. Barrie wrote to Guy's nephew, George Llewelyn Davies, to tell him about Guy's death. Sadly, by the time Barrie received a reply, George himself had also been killed in the war.
