GERALD ALEC MOSS
13 January 1899 - 10 August 1918
At School 1910 - 1912
Lieut 19th attd 2nd Manchester Regt
Gerald (Alec) was born in Loughborough and in 1901 aged 2, was living at 39 Baxter Street, Loughborough with father Charles, a Building Contractor, elder brother William and 3 servants. Sadly Alec's mother, Eliza, died very shortly after he was born. The boys originally went to Loughborough Grammar School but, in 1907, their father's building company, William Moss and Sons Limited, opened a branch in London and the boys moved there with Charles living at Portsdown Avenue, Golders Green. Alec then attended William Ellis Endowed School, Gospel Oak. William and Alec were sent as boarders to the School in 1909 and 1910 respectively following their older cousin Howard whose name also appears on the memorial. The boarding house was managed by one of the masters at School, Charles Kelsey, together with his wife Bertha, and was situated at 1 Athol Road, only yards from School.

In 1911, Alec, William and Howard were living there with 5 other pupils. On leaving School, at the age of 14, Alec was apprenticed to a firm of building contractors with a view to joining his father's firm in Loughborough.
On 23rd October 1916, Alec enlisted in the 28th London Regiment, the Artists' Rifles. His age was given as 18 but he was only 17 years 9 months, height 5 ft 7¼ inches. He was appointed to the 2nd Artists Rifles Officer Training Corps at Hare Hill Camp, Romford, Essex. He later obtained a commission in the Manchester Regiment and joined the 2nd Battalion in the field on 23 July 1918. 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 NCO's, 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 Mezieres and Beaucourt. On 10th August 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 wounded but it is clear that there were fatalities on that day including Alec. It appears to have been his first taste of action.
Alec's body was never found and he is commemorated on the Vis-en-Artois Memorial to the Missing, situated on the road between Arras and Cambrai. The memorial is situated at the end of the graves in the above photograph. The porticos shelter panels inscribed with the names of the
9,813 British, Irish and South African soldiers who fell in the fighting in Somme and Artois between August 1918 and the Armistice and whose graves were never found.
On 9th April 1919 probate was granted to Charles Moss, Contractor. Effects £555 9s 2d.
Alec is also commemorated on the Loughborough Carillon and war memorial in Loughborough, Leicestershire, England. It is in Queen's Park, and is a well known landmark, visible from several miles away. It is 152 feet (46 m) high. Plans were finalised in 1919 and when completed in 1923 it was the first grand carillon in England. The Carillon was designed by Sir
Walter Tapper and is now grade II listed. The carillon has 47 bells, all of which were cast at John Taylor Bell Foundry in Loughborough. The carillon was built by Alec's father's firm, William Moss and Sons Ltd.
The dedication was held on Sunday 22 July 1923, led by Bishop of Peterborough, Frank Theodore Woods and Field Marshal Sir William Robertson.
Alec's cousin Howard is also commemorated on the Loughborough Carillon.

The Hulmeian – December 1918 Old Hulmeians and the War Deaths Second Lieutenant G ALEC MOSS, Manchester Regiment, was killed in action on August 10th. He was at the School from January, 1910, to July, 1912, and on leaving was apprenticed to a firm of building contractors, with a view to joining his father’s firm of Messrs W Moss & Sons, Loughborough. He joined the Artist’s Rifles O T C, and afterwards obtained his commission in the Manchester Regiment. His elder brother, Captain W H Moss, has recently been accidentally wounded, and his cousin, Second Lieutenant Howard Moss, was killed in action at Hohenzollern Redoubt in 1915. |