Maurice Bercovitch (also known as Bercove later in life) was born into a Jewish family in Galati, Eastern Romania, in 1893. In 1910, at the age of 17, he migrated to Perth with his family. By 1912 he was making appearances as a goalkeeper for Fremantle and then more notably for the Wanderers club.
Enlisting in 1916, his military service on the Western Front, like his life, was filled with incident. He had quite a number of run-ins with the authorities for insolence and absences. But Private Bercovitch was a brave soldier, wounded in battle in 1917 and then awarded a Military Medal in October 1918 for conspicuous service in the field.
True to form soon after receiving his gong he was admitted to hospital with gonorrhea the day after the armistice on 12 November, 1918.
After Maurice returned from the war he was also using the surname of Bercove and took up goalkeeping again with the Rangers club. “When given the opportunity, Bercove, in goal for Rangers, showed himself worthy of his place. He has, though, a dangerous habit of going down on his knees too often to be safe. Saturday is not Sunday, Bercove, so stand up to it.” The Weekly Judge reported on 28 May, 1920, By 1923 he had hung up his gloves and, as the local papers reported, got married. “The marriage of Mr. Maurice Bercove, eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. B. Bercove, of 67 Brewer street, East Perth, to Miss Batia Hirsch, late of Palestine, will take place at the Synagogue, Brisbane-street, Perth at 8p.m. on Saturday next, November 24.”
1933 was a fateful year in the life of Maurice Bercovitch (Bercove). He made the news after tragically killing his mother in a car accident 20 miles south of Fremantle on 20 February. On Friday 10 March 1933, the West Australian reported from the coronial inquest.
CAR STRIKES TREE. ELDERLY WOMAN’S DEATH.
Son Faints at the Wheel.
The circumstances of a fatal motor car smash on the Mandurah-road on the afternoon of February 20, after the driver of the car had become momentarily faint at the wheel, were described at the Fremantle Courthouse yesterday when an inquiry was conducted before the District Coroner. (Mr. H. J. Craig, R.M.) into the death of Anna Bercovitch. (62), a widow, of 388 Lordstreet, Perth. The deceased, who was a Rumanian, was a passenger in a motor car driven by her son, Maurice Bercovitch, a case manufacturer, of Edwardstreet, Perth.
The car was returning to Perth from Bunbury along Mandurah-road. At a point near White Lake, about 20 miles from Fremantle, the car left the road and, travelling for some distance along an embankment, struck a tree and overturned. Mrs. Bercovitch was killed and the driver and two other passengers, Mr. D. B. Muir, of Bunbury, and his wife, were injured. The car was wrecked. Dr. A. Bean, police surgeon at Fremantle, said that the death of deceased was due to a fracture at the- base of the skull.
Maurice Bercovitch said that the deceased and Mrs. Muir were sitting in the front seat of the car and Mr. Muir in the rear seat. The car was about 20 miles from Fremantle when witness heard his mother scream and then saw that the car was off the road and approaching a big tree, with which it collided. The car overturned. The next thing he remembered was picking himself up and pushing the car to an upright position. Deceased and Mrs. Muir were under the car.
Some time prior to the collision, witness said, he felt faint and partly lost his sight. He could not remember what he did. He had slept well the previous night and had no liquor before leaving Bunbury. The car was in good condition and was travelling between 30 and 35 miles an hour before the collision. He had never felt faint before when driving a car and he could not explain it. He had been medically examined since the accident but had not mentioned the fainting turn.
David Elliott Muir, manager of Rural Motors, Ltd., Bunbury, said that he remembered something going amiss near White Lake and he saw a tree loom up suddenly in front of the car on the left side of the road. He could remember no more until after the collision. He was injured. When he regained his senses he saw Bercovitch walking up and down in front of the car. He appeared distraught, and kept repeating ‘Mother’s gone.’ Before the collision the car was going at a ‘comfortable speed’— about 40 miles an hour. No liquor was consumed by any of the party on the journey. He noticed nothing peculiar about the driver at any stage of the journey.
Esther Muir, wife of the previous witness, who was seated next to the driver of the car, corroborated the evidence of her husband and added that she noticed nothing strange about Bercovitch’s driving. The speed of the car did not appear to be abnormal.
George Homewood, truck driver, of Mandurah, said that, while driving along Mandurah-road about 3 pm on February 20, he saw the car lying, badly damaged, on the left side of the road and down an embankment about four feet from the road level. He went to the assistance of the four injured persons, who were conveyed to Fremantle Hospital in a motor car. There was no sign of drink on any of the party.
Constable Sims produced a plan prepared from measurements made after the accident, showing that the car left the road and, after travelling forward 196 feet along an embankment, struck a tree, standing 23 feet 6 inches from the road edge. After striking the tree, the car travelled a farther 12 feet. Twenty-three feet back from the tree the car struck a log and then hurtled through the air, not touching the ground before striking the tree. The car travelled 172 feet through sand after it left the road.
The Coroner found that the deceased came by her death as a result of head injuries which she received when the car struck the tree, and that the collision was caused by the driver suddenly becoming faint and losing control of the car, which was travelling at a high speed at the time. ‘In connection with the case,’ concluded the Coroner, ‘I wish to say that had the car been driven at a moderate pace, that is to say, 25 miles an hour, the accident might not have been so severe, but speed alone was not responsible for it. Under normal circumstances a man drives along a country road, with no other traffic about, at 40 miles an hour at his own risk but, in this instance, something intervened and the collision occurred.’
Sergeant Leen assisted the Coroner.
By the end of the year he was in the news again after being caught underpaying his employees at the Returned Soldiers Case Factory. On 15 November, 1933, The Daily News reported:
SAVED £900 IN WAGES
Casemaker Breaks Award UNIQUE CHARGES
How an employer flouted an industrial agreement with the co-operation of his employees, and saved over £900 in wages, was disclosed at Fremantle today, when Maurice Bercove (partner in Returned Soldiers’ Case Factory, North Fremantle) was fined £40 with 6s costs by the Industrial Magistrate (Mr. H. J.Craig, R.M.). ‘There is no doubt that this is a case if a wholesale breach of the award and falsification of the time and wages book,’ said the magistrate, in imposing the penalty. Bercove admitted 14 charges of having failed to pay his employees the prescribed rate of wages and also pleaded guilty to a charge of having failed to keep a record of wages paid to each worker.
After surviving two recent and very serious operations, Maurice passed away on 22 April 1943 at his residence, 168 Edward Street, East Perth. He was 50 years of age.