Grandson of building firm founder William Moss
Nineteen-year-old’s body was never found
THROUGHOUT the centenary of the First World War, we have been remembering the soldiers from the Loughborough area who lost their lives while serving their country. Here, with the help of Marigold Cleeve and a small number of researchers from the Loughborough Carillon Tower and War Memorial Museum, we look back at more of those who made the ultimate sacrifice in August 1918.
Herbert Arthur Faulks. Herbert Arthur Faulks was born
in Market Rasen, Lincolnshire in 1895.
He was the son of William Faulks, a tailor from Market Rasen, and his wife Clara (née Monk) who were married at Emmanuel Church, Loughborough, on 23rd June 1894.
Not long after Herbert was born his parents moved from Market Rasen to 7 Queen Street, Loughborough, and at the turn of the century Frank Monk, Herbert’s uncle, who was a barber, lived there with the Faulks family.
On 17th June 1899 Herbert’s baby brother Frank, aged 22 months, was burnt to death in a fire at 7 Queen Street. The baby had got hold of a box of matches and set his cot on fire.
Herbert and Frank’s father was so distraught by the tragedy that he had to be taken to the Leicestershire and Rutland Asylum, Victoria Road, Leicester. A few weeks later another son was born to Herbert’s mother and this new baby brother to Herbert was also called Frank.
By 1911 Herbert’s mother had moved to 20 Devonshire Square with her two sons, but there is no evidence that Herbert’s father ever recovered enough to return home. Herbert’s mother later became an office caretaker. When Herbert left school he was employed at Messrs. Grudgings needle factory in School Street, Loughborough.
The date when Herbert enlisted is not known as his service papers have not survived, but he initially joined the Leicestershire Regiment as Private 39286 and was subsequently transferred to the 10th (Service) Battalion of the Essex Regiment as Private 43918.
His date of transfer is also unknown. His medal records indicate that he was not sent abroad before 1916.
The 10th Battalion of the Essex Regiment had been in France and Flanders since July 1915. If we assume that Herbert was transferred to the Essex Regiment before he was sent abroad there are a number of occasions from 1916 onwards when the 10th Battalion received drafts of reinforcements. The first draft arrived on 13th March 1916 when the battalion was training at Franvillers.
From 16th March – 1st April the battalion was in the trenches at Maricourt where they were intermittently shelled. During April the battalion continued with to work on the improvement of the Maricourt defences amid enemy rifle fire, tear gas and shelling. They also contributed digging parties for work on the light railway north-east of Bray, this work continuing after the battalion moved to Longpré on 1st May. Training then took place until 23rd May when the battalion marched to Corbie.
From 24th May until 1st June the battalion was in brigade reserve at Bronfay Farm and Billon Wood, working on a tramline and mining. During June the battalion did a trench tour in the Carnoy sub-sector, dug a cable trench between Billon Wood and Maricourt, provided working parties and completed work at Carnoy.
On 1st July, the opening day of the Somme Offensive, the battalion went into action in the Battle of Albert and were ordered to hold the Pommier line. This they did until 7th July when, on being relieved, moved back to Bronfay Farm and then to Grovetown Camp in the Billon Valley.
Following tactical exercises the battalion proceeded on 14th July via Carnoy and Talus Boise to Longueval Trench and east and west of Bernafay Wood. After dealing with a large number of dead in Longueval Alley the battalion moved to east and west of Trones Wood to work on strongpoints. By 18th July they had returned to Billon Wood to prepare for an attack.
On 19th July the battalion moved up to Longueval and Delville Wood, where a battle was in progress, but their advance was halted after they suffered heavy casualties. The battalion was then withdrawn to Grovetown Camp.
On 22nd July the battalion entrained at Edgehill Station and at Maricourt for Longpréles-Saints-Coeurs. Two days later they entrained for Arques and moved to billets in Blaringhem. Training took place here, at Mont des Cats near Godswaerwelde, Estaires, Erquinghem-Lys and Bailleul until 24th August.
On 25th August the battalion entrained at Bailleul for Dieval and marched to Chelers where training continued until 8th September. Between 9th and 11th September the battalion moved via Sibiville and Halloy to Acheux. Further training followed until 23rd September.
On 24th September the battalion moved to Crucifix Corner, Aveluy, and on 26th went into the attack at the Battle of Thiepval Ridge. Two days later, with the enemy in retreat, the battalion moved to Forceville having suffered many more casualties.
On 3rd October the battalion entrained at Belle Eglise for Candas. After six days training at Montigny-les-Jongleurs the battalion began a three-day march back to Albert. On 17th October they moved to the line at Courcelette and began digging assembly trenches.
Between 21st and 23rd October they launched a successful attack and vigorously repelled enemy attempts to advance. At the end of October, after a break, the battalion completed work in the line for the Royal Engineers.
For much of November the battalion was based in Albert, Warloy, and in bivouacs on Tara Hill while trench work was completed. After this the men marched over nine days via Vadencourt, Gezaincourt, Heuzecourt, Coulonvillers and Fontaine to Lamotte-Buleux where the battalion remained until 28th December in training. Turkeys for the battalion’s Christmas dinner were obtained from Paris.
By the start of the New Year 1917 the battalion had moved to the area of St. Riquier to continue training until 10th January. A four-day move to Gloster Huts in Martinsart Wood followed for working parties on the tramlines, and unloading stores. On 27th January the battalion moved to Warwick Huts for work under the Royal Engineers.
February began with a trench tour, during which the battalion launched an unsuccessful raid on the enemy.
After moving to Marlborough and Monmouth Huts on 11th February the battalion returned to the trenches, this time at St. Pierre Divion, and launched another attack which was successful on the Hessian line. February ended with working parties at St. Pierre Divion and Thiepval.
During March the battalion made partially successful attempts to establish new strongpoints and made a very successful attack on an enemy trench before preparing for an attack on Irles. At Irles all objectives were achieved and held.
After a rest at Wellington Huts the battalion moved over five days to Pissy and after entraining at Bacouel for Berguette, marched to Ham-en-Artois for training until 18th April.
Towards the end of April the battalion moved via Béthune, Houchin, and Tangy to work on the Beaurains to NeuvilleVitasse road.
May was spent on trench tours in the front, support and reserve lines, with some reorganisation, working parties and training which continued until 16th June.
From 17th June-2nd July the battalion was training at Souastre. After a move by train from Mondicourt to Cassel and a march to Steenvoorde the battalion continued training and practising attacks until 28th July.
A move to New Dickebusch and Castle Reserve Camps then took place in preparation for an attack in the area of Zillebeke Lake. The Battle of Pilckem Ridge took place on 31st July and was the opening day of the 3rd Battle of Ypres, also known as Passchendaele.
In the days that followed the battalion was at Micmac Camp and Dickebusch Huts re-equipping and training until they made a return to the front line at Stirling Castle from 10th-14th August. From 18th August until 8th October the battalion was withdrawn for training at Roubrouck and St.-Jan-Ter-Biezen.
On 9th October the battalion moved to Murat Camp in a new area nearer Poelcappelle. Firstly they made improvements at the line near Canal Bank before a trench tour there for two days; secondly they moved to Tunnelling Camp in the Cane Post area before going into the line there. On 22nd October they were in action east of Poelcappelle where they attacked and captured enemy positions.
The end of October was spent at Tunnelling Camp and Poll Hill Camp and the beginning of November at Coldstream Camp, Baboon Camp, and Wijdendrift.
After a return to the front line on 7th November the battalion spent five days at De Wippe Camp cleaning up, reorganising and training. The remainder of November was spent making improvements at Canal Bank, on another brief trench tour and on further training at De Wippe Camp.
During December there was a further trench tour, six days at De Wippe Camp refitting and training, and a move to Emile Camp from where two companies buried cable near Wijdendrift and two companies worked on drainage in the Brombeek and Guyterbale Farm areas.
On 17th December the battalion entrained at Elverdinghe for Proven and marched to Herzeele where they were in training until 27th December. At the end of December the battalion returned via Proven to work under the Royal Engineers in the Brombeek Valley.
This work continued until 25th January 1918 when the battalion moved to Bapaume Camp until 6th February for refitting, reorganisation and training. On 7th February the battalion went by train to Noyon and marched to Grandrû before moving to Jussy and Clastres. From there the battalion moved to Remigny to repair billets and dugouts while two companies were sent to work at Essigny le Grand, both in the Aisne.
On 14th February the battalion moved to Bethancourt.
After four days one company was sent to Noyon and one to Golancourt. On 24th February the whole battalion moved to Rouez Camp and two days later went into reserve in the battle zone at Ly Fontaine and Remigny.
On 5th March the men went into the front, support and reserve trenches to work on trench improvements and wiring. Relieved on 19th March the battalion began preparing for an expected enemy attack.
The German Spring Offensive opened on 21st March with a barrage on Ly Fontaine and Remigny and the battalion was ordered to withdraw to the other side of the canal by Jussy.
On 22nd the battalion took up a defensive position in front of Friers Failleul but were later ordered to withdraw to Rouez Camp. On 23rd the battalion took up a line through Frères Wood but was attacked by an overwhelming number of the enemy.
Withdrawn to Commenchon and then Caillouel the battalion took up a strong line of defence with the remainder of the Division on 24th March, only to be shelled by the enemy. Between 25th and 31st March the battalion was withdrawn via Mondescourt, Baboeuf, Caisnes, and Nampcel to Gentelles. The cost of the German Offensive to the battalion, which had 328 casualties, was high.
The first fortnight of April was spent in the line at Gentelles and on 12th April the battalion made a successful counter-attack north of Hangard. From 14th-23rd April training and reorganisation took place at Saint-Fuscien and Petit Cagny.
On 25th April the battalion attacked the Bois de Hangard, but suffered 213 further casualties. After a few days reorganisation at Warlus the battalion was in reserve for an attack at Behencourt.
A trench tour in the Lavieville line, trench work and training took up most of May. In June there were four trench tours and working parties in the Warloy sector.
On 12th July the battalion was conveyed by bus to Picquigny for refitting and training until the end of the month. Training continued at Pont Noyelles until 6th August. On 8th August 1918 Allies opened an offensive with the Battle of Amiens and the battalion took part. Herbert, aged 22, was killed in action on the following day.
Herbert was buried in Dive Copse British Cemetery, Sailly-le-Sec, Grave III. F. 1. William Manning.
William Manning was born in Heather, Leicestershire, in 1891 and baptised at the Church of St. John the Baptist, Heather, on 10th August 1891.
He was the son of William Manning Senior and his wife Beatrice (née Ball) who were married in the Ashby de la Zouch registration area in the summer of 1880.
William Manning Senior began his working like as a railway clerk. He later became an agent for brick and paper and then a commercial traveller in oil and grease products.
From Heather the Manning family moved to Measham and by 1901 had settled at 15 Gordon Street, Loughborough.
After Beatrice Manning died in 1904, aged 42, the family moved to 74 Oxford Street, Loughborough and in 1915 William Manning Senior was remarried to Florence Bishop.
William Senior and his new wife then moved to 24 Clarence Street.
William Junior had four brothers James William, James, Louis and Reginald and three sisters Maud, Beatrice Alice, and Arabella. Another brother Bertram died, aged three months, in 1894. He also had a half-sister Florence from his father’s second marriage.
William Manning Junior worked as a shop assistant. He joined the 1/5th Battalion of the Leicestershire Regiment as Private 3041 in late 1914.
Although his service papers have not survived it is known that he was sent to France on 25th June 1915.
In June 1915 William would have joined the 1/5th Leicestershire Regiment in the area of Zillebeke, south-east of Ypres.
From July to September 1915 the battalion remained in the area of Zillebeke and Ouderdom, before moving to Hesdigneul-lès-Béthune in October, La Couture in November and Merville and Thienne in December.
January 1916 was taken up with a potential move of the battalion to Egypt which was aborted at Marseilles, the battalion being returned to Candas, and the area of Vimy Ridge.
In mid-February 1916 the 1/5th Battalion took over the line north of the River Ancre opposite Beaumont-Hamel. On 29th February the battalion moved to the area of Doullens where the men worked on improving the trenches despite being subjected to a considerable bombardment from the enemy with mines and craters being blown.
From 9th March 1916 the 1/5th Leicesters were in the area of Vimy Ridge, Pas de Calais, either in the front line, in support, in reserve or at rest. On 27th April the battalion was sent to the neighbourhood of Neuville St. Vaast to work with the French and English tunnellers and then to billets in Luchaux for bayonet training. This was followed by a period at Souastre digging cable trenches, and constructing bomb stores and gun pits in preparation for a ‘big push’.
On 4th June 1916 the battalion was moved up to trenches near Gommecourt. This was followed by further training at Warlincourt. On 30th June the battalion assembled in a trench near Foncquevillers Church ready for the diversionary attack at Gommecourt on the first day of the Somme Offensive planned for 1st July.
On 1st July 1916 the 46th Division of the Army, of which the 1/5th Leicesters were part, had 2445 casualties at Gommecourt. On 7th July they relieved the 4th Lincolnshires in the trenches opposite Essarts-lès-Bucquoy. The battalion remained in the area of Monchy-au-Bois until 29th October, either in the trenches or resting at Bienvillers or Pommier. The battalion’s next move was to Millencourt for intensive battle training, returning to Halloy and then Souastre at the beginning of December.
The battalion remained at Souastre until 11th March 1917 and then moved up to the front line taking over 2,600 yards of frontage from the La Brayelle road to the HannescampsMonchy road. On 17th March they moved into Gommecourt for road mending before moving to Bertrancourt, Raincheval and then Rainvillers not far from Amiens.
On 28th March the battalion marched to Saleux, entrained for Lillers in the north, and marched to Laires. Training took place until 13th April and continued for three further days at Manqueville, after which the battalion moved to the western outskirts of Lens. From there they marched to Bully-Grenay and went into the front line trenches where they were heavily shelled.
On 29th April the battalion went into rest billets in cellars at Cité St. Pierre until 3rd May when they went into support trenches. On 8th they went into billets at Fosse 10 near Petit Sains for training and on 12th into reserve at Angres.
Further trench tours south-west of Lens followed until 26th May when the battalion went into billets at Marqueffles Farm for training in bayonet fighting and bombardment and to practise methods of attack. On 6th June the battalion was back in the line and on 8th June went into the attack, suffering 96 casualties.
Apart from two breaks at Red Mill from 9th-13th and 18th-20th June the battalion was in the trenches until 22nd June. On 21st June C Coy was accidentally gassed by the Royal Engineers, resulting in 94 casualties of whom 22 died. Back at Marqueffles Farm from 22nd the battalion had Lewis gun and signalling classes as well as attack training over a flagged course.
On 27th June the battalion moved up to the line ready to attack on the following day. As they climbed out of the trenches on 28th June they met with the inevitable machine gun fire and over the next two days 60 Ordinary Ranks were killed.
Relieved from the trenches at Lievin on 3rd July the battalion moved to Monchy-Breton for reorganisation and training until 22nd July when they moved to Vaudricourt before going into the line at Hulluch until 28th July. After respite at Noeux-les-Mines the battalion was at Fouquières until 14th August, practising for an attack. Moving to Noyelles the battalion went into the trenches from 15th-17th August.
The battalion then had drill and instruction in Noyelles from 17th-22nd August before returning to the trenches until 29th August. Two companies were then left in the line and the other two moved to Philosophe.
After Philosophe was shelled on the 1st and 2nd September all the battalion went back in the line from 3rd to 9th September and then marched to Fouquières. Training took place there until 15th September.
On 16th September another trench tour began at St. Elie. On 19th September the battalion was visited by Mr. Wilkes of the Leicester Mail ‘attired in a grey suit, steel helmet and box respirator’. He went away ‘greatly impressed with the cheerfulness of the men’. On 21st September the battalion was relieved. Two companies remained in support and two went to billets in Philosophe. The month ended with the battalion back in the trenches at St. Elie.
At some point in 1917, probably in September, William was sent back to England, the reason for his return being unknown. He then joined the Leicester Regiment’s 4th Reserve Battalion at Louth.
In early April 1918 he was posted, with a group of other soldiers from several regiments, to No. 12 Infantry Base Depot in Calais. While at the depot he appears for a very short time to have been part of the 1/4th Battalion of the Norfolk Regiment and given the new service number of 203287. He was then posted to the 9th (Service) Battalion of the Norfolk Regiment in the field.
He joined the 9th Norfolks in the Ypres Salient on 20th April 1918. The battalion had just arrived at Vancouver Camp, south of Vlamertinghe and west of Ypres. After some reorganisation and training the men commenced work on the Brandhoek-Ouderdom line.
On 26th April the battalion moved up to an assembly point near Belgian Chateau but were not required and returned to Vancouver Camp. On 28th April the battalion moved to a strongpoint west of Ypres.
From 5th to 11th May the battalion worked on strengthening the Vlam line. From 12th to 21st May they guarded strongpoints near the Ypres Canal before moving to Ravine to provide working parties and returned to the trenches on 26th May. Relieved on 6th June the battalion proceeded to Dirty Bucket Camp. From the camp they provided working parties until 14th June when the battalion moved to School Camp for training.
On 20th June there was another move to Cormette Musketry Camp, Martin-auLaert.
For this transfer the battalion entrained at Proven for St. Omer. The return journey to Proven took place on 25th June and from Proven the battalion marched to Bayly Camp in the Rosendahl area south-east of Watou.
After two days training the battalion went into the trenches to carry out wiring work on the Dickebusch and Vyverbeek lines, with a break at Micmac Camp. This work lasted until 9th July when the battalion went into the front line in the Villebeek area.
After a short break at Micmac Farm on 19th and 20th July the battalion took up battle positions in the DickebuschScherpenberg line but the expected attack by the enemy never materialised.
After two days in Brigade reserve near Malin House the battalion moved to the Westoutre-Goed-Moet Mill sector on 27th July.
During this trench tour William was wounded and he died of his wounds in No. 2 Canadian Casualty Clearing Station on 9th August 1918.
He was 27 years old and by the time he died he had been promoted to Lance Corporal.
He was buried in Esquelbecq Military Cemetery, Grave II. F. 4.
He is remembered on the memorial in All Saints Church and on the memorial in the former St. Peter’s Church building, Loughborough, and on the Carillon.
William’s brother Reginald who was with the 1/5th Leicestershire Regiment, died in 1919.
His brother James served with the Coldstream Guards and survived the war. Gerald Alec Moss.
Gerald Alec Moss, known to his family as ‘Alec’ was born in Loughborough on 13th January 1899.
He was the son of Charles Moss and his wife Eliza (née Atkins) who were married at Charnwood Road Baptist Chapel, Shepshed, on 1st September 1894.
Alec’s mother, who was the adopted daughter of Mr J. Harriman JP and Mrs Harriman of Fernside, Shepshed, sadly died a few months after Alec was born.
Alec had one older brother William who was three when their mother died.
Alec’s father belonged to the Moss family which in 1820 had founded the firm of William Moss and Sons Ltd., building contractors, in Loughborough. In 1901 young Alec and William were living with their father, a housekeeper, and two other domestic servants at the firm’s premises, 39 Baxter Gate, Loughborough.
On 23rd September 1903 Alec’s father was remarried at Holy Trinity Church, Barrow on Soar, to Mabel Agnes Black, the daughter of Henry Black, a former building contractor who became a hosiery manufacturer.
In 1904 Alec’s stepmother gave birth ito Frank Moss, half-brother to Alec and William.
Alec’s father subsequently moved around the country according to the demands of his business while his step-mother appears to have lived mostly with her father Henry Black, either at Rochberie, Leicester Road, Loughborough, or at her own property 51 Wickham Avenue, Bexhill-on-Sea, Sussex. Alec’s father, meanwhile, moved to London in 1907 to open another branch of the family firm, moved back to Nottingham during the First World War and finally settled at Thurcaston Manor, Leicestershire.
For a short time between September 1907 and April 1908 Alec and William attended Loughborough Grammar School but then joined their father in London.
Between 1908 and 1909 Alec lived with his father at Hiawatha, Portsdown Avenue, Golders Green, Middlesex. During this time he attended William Ellis Endowed School in Gospel Oak, Highgate, north-west London.
In 1910 Alec was sent as a boarder to William Hulme’s Grammar School, Manchester, to join his brother William and their cousin Howard Moss. When Alec was fourteen he left school and was apprenticed to a firm of building contractors with a view to joining his father’s firm.
Alec joined the Officer Training Corps of the 28th County of London Regiment (the Artists’ Rifles) in late 1916 as Private 8902 (afterwards renumbered as 762907).
At this stage of the war the Artists’ Rifles was about to close the cadet schools it had previously run in France and it is likely that Alec was trained at Hare Hall Camp, Gidea Park, Essex.
On 1st August 1917 Alec obtained a commission as a Temporary 2nd Lieutenant with the Manchester Regiment.
He was posted to the 19th (Service) Battalion (4th City) of the Manchester Regiment and joined them in the field at some point in the autumn of 1917. The war diary of the 19th Battalion, however, omits to mention the precise date on which 2nd Lieutenant Moss joined them.
From 21st August to 12th November 1917 the 19th Battalion was operating in the area of Kemmel Hill on the Ypres Salient.
During this time they did tours in the front and support line trenches at the Ridge defences, Wytschaete, and provided working and carrying parties as well as completing wiring and revetting. Breaks were taken at camps south of Kemmel Hill, Partrain Farm and Irish House.
On 13th November the battalion moved to Lindenhoek Camp before taking buses to Steenvoords for training until 24th November.
On 25th November the battalion transferred to Bedford House before going into the line east of Zillebeke to garrison posts, strengthen, clean and lay duckboards in the trenches and provide carrying parties at Hedge Street tunnel. During December this work continued with breaks at Scottish Wood and Ottawa Camps.
On 6th January 1918 the battalion began an eight-day move by train and march via Fuzeville, Dickebusch, Blaringhem, Steenbecque, Longeau and Le Quesnel to Margny-aux-Cerises.
Training then took place at Margny-aux-Cerises and afterwards at Golancourt, Commenchon and Camp Frières.
In early February 1918 the Army took the decision to disband the 19th Battalion of the Manchester Regiment, the junior battalion in the Brigade.
Alec is listed as being transferred on 6th February to the 16th (Service) Battalion of the Manchester Regiment. He joined his new battalion at Les Buttes de Rouy.
On 8th February the battalion began a three-day march via Manicamp and Quesmy to Ognolles. At Ognolles two companies continued to Curchy to work on the railway until the end of the month and the rest of the battalion set off via Ham for Etreillers to dig trenches until 5th March. From 5th to 16th March the battalion was in Corps reserve at Aubigny, providing working parties. After moving to the Savy dugouts and Etreillers defences on 17th they went into the front line on 18th.
When the German Spring Offensive opened on 21st March the battalion’s line was pounded by an enemy barrage and gas shells. The battalion initially managed to hold back the German advance but then found itself surrounded.
The remnants of the battalion withdrew to Vaux, then to Villers St. Christophe to take up positions on the canal, but were again shelled by the enemy. Forced to retire to Cressy and then Bouchoir the battalion attempted to defend Arvillers but were again forced to withdraw to Rouvrel. When the battalion concentrated at Boubert on 31st March it had suffered 627 casualties.
In April the battalion was sent to the Ypres Salient and on 12th April went into the line at Gournier Farm.
On 19th April the battalion was joined with the 17th Battalion of the Manchesters to form a composite battalion and went into the front line at Spoil Bank on the south-side of the Ypres-Comines Canal.
On 25th April, just after the battalion had moved into close support at Spoil Bank and Lock 8 the enemy attacked and on the following day, in thick mist, overran the forward posts and drove the remnants of the battalion from Spoil Bank to Lock 8. There were 245 casualties.
After the battalion gathered at Scottish Camp the 17th Battalion left and the 16th Battalion was attached to the 2nd Battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment. The battalion then proceeded to the trenches at Ouderdom.
In early May the battalion moved to bivouacs outside Steenvoorde and then to Buyscheere. On 13th May the 16th Battalion was reduced to a training cache of 10 Officers and 49 Ordinary Ranks. Surplus personnel were dispatched to an Infantry Base Depot at Etaples. Whether Alec remained with the training cache or was sent to Etaples in not recorded in the War diary.
On 23rd July Alec was attached to the 2nd Battalion of the Manchester Regiment. At this time the battalion was in reserve at Proven near Poperinghe in the Ypres sector of the line, undertaking training and recreational activities. A football match was held on the 24th between the officers and NCOs, which the officers lost 2 nil, and the battalion sports day was held the following day.
Training continued, interspersed with providing working parties to assist the Canadian Railway Troops, until 7th August when the battalion moved by train to Hangest, west of Amiens, and marched to billets at Briquemesnil.
On the 8th August the battalion moved by bus to Boves, on the eastern outskirts of Amiens and were billeted in a field outside the town. The next day they marched nearer to the front line being billeted for the night in a field between Mézières and Beaucourt.
On 10th August 1918 the Battalion War diary states that ‘ The Battalion moved up at 4 a.m. into action, advancing in columns of fours to Le Quesnil, where Coys extended into artillery formation and attacked (in support to the 15th & 16th Battalions Lancashire Fusiliers), Parvillers and Dametry Woods, with slight casualties’.
The War Diary only mentions two officers being wounded but it is clear that there were fatalities on that day including Alec.
Alec was only 19 years old and his body was never found.
Alec is commemorated on the Vis-en-Artois Memorial to the Missing, situated on the road between Arras and Cambrai.
He is also remembered on the memorials at Loughborough Grammar School and William Hulme’s Grammar School, Manchester, and on the Carillon.
The Carillon was built by Alec’s father’s firm, William Moss and Sons Ltd. Bell No. 8 in the Carillon bears the following inscription: ‘ The gift of the Sons of William and Anne Moss, third Mayor and Mayoress of this borough, two of whose grandsons, Howard James Harding Moss (2nd Lieut., 5th Leicesters) and Gerald Alec Moss (2nd Lieut., 2nd Manchesters), fell in the Great War’.
Alec’s brother William, who served with the Leicestershire Regiment, survived the war.