Born in St Austell to George and Edith. George was a Barrister and they lived mainly at 18 Gledhow Gardens in South Kensington, keeping Porthean as a country house.
His service record shows he had travelled extensively around Europe, America and Canada and was able to speak many languages.
| Unit or location | Role | Posted from | until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coleshill House, GHQ | Commanding Officer Special Duties | Unknown | 14 Mar 1942 |
Marlborough College and Trinity College, Cambridge
Member of Parliament
1914 Commissioned Royal Devon Yeomanry.
1915 Invalided out of Army.
1916-17 Foreign Office.
1917 Commissioned Royal Scots Greys. 1918 France.
22 Oct 1939 Recommissioned General List.
24 Oct 1939-17 June 1940 Embarked for France, served as Military Censorship Liaison Officer.
17 June 1940-14 Sept 1940 Returned from France and worked in I.R.B (Information Section, Censorship).
14 Sept 1940-12 Oct 1940 War Intelligence Course.
22 Oct 1940 Posted to Auxiliary Units Special Duties as G.S.O II.
16 March 1942 Relinquished appointment on posting to London District Reception Depot.
24 March 1942 Released from military duties to attend Parliamentary duties.
1924 Working Director of timber firm.
1927 Bank Director.
1931-1945 MP for Penryn and Falmouth, Cornwall. In May 1945 he was appointed Financial Secretary to the War Office but was voted out of Parliament that July.
1953-1971 Director of the Prudential Assurance Co. Ltd,
19 Feb 1957 Sheriff of Cornwall.
He wrote three books, including Victoire, a novel about resistance in France published in 1943.
In 1939 he is living at 18 Gledhow Gardens, North Kensington, London, with staff, for work at the Houses of Parliament. His home at Porthpean House was later utilized by the Cornwall Scout Section.
In 1981 Maurice (87) and his brother Lieutenant Colonel William Petherick (83) tackled an intruder in Porthpean House. The man was winded and they managed to bundle the burglar outside. He sped off in a car but immediately hit a wall and was soon arrested.
Daily Mirror 7 Dec 1981
Army Service Record
Cornwall Record Office ref AD 2081/1-2