Son of the late William and Elizabeth Maples, of "The Hut", Ashtead, Surrey. One of three Wykehamist brothers, another of whom, Captain Kenneth James Maples (G, 1890-1896), South Staffordshire Regiment, fell on May 16th 1915. He came to Winchester from Mr. Johnson's school at Ashtead, and played in Commoner XV. After a short period with the Militia he entered the Regular Army (Duke of Wellington's West Riding Regiment) in 1899. He served in South Africa from 1899-1902, and later on took part with the King's African Rifles in the Nandi and Somaliland campaigns. He travelled widely in East Africa, Abyssinia and the Himalayas, and was a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. In 1910, he went to India, and shortly before the war passed into the Staff College at Quetta though he resigned this three months later. ref. South African Roll of Honour 1914-1918