Willam Maurice Marter was born on 18 Jan 1868, the son of former CO of the KDG, Major-General Richard James Combe Marter of Walton House, Epping. He was educated at Clifton College and went on to Sandhurst. He was commissioned as 2nd lieutenant into the Royal Fusiliers on 5 Feb 1887, promoted to lieutenant 18 Feb 1891. He transferred to the KDG in April 1892. He attended Staff College. He had served in Egypt and India, and was linguistically proficient at Hindustani and Persian. He was appointed DAAG North Eastern District in 1897 and subsequently Brigade Major South African Field Force. He was married in 1897 to Mary Edith Cuming and at the beginning of the Boer War was appointed to the staff of General Thynne at York.
He was mortally wounded in action, receiving a stomach wound, on 29 Mar 1900 at Karee Siding, Orange River Colony and died on 3 April 1900 aged 32. Buried in the cemetery there. A memorial plaque was erected in York Minster. Queen Victoria sent a message of condolence and asked for his photograph.
