Old Hulmeians War Memorial 1914

HOWARD JAMES HARDING MOSS

20 June 1896 - 13 October 1915

At School 1906 - 1911

2nd Lieut 5th Leicestershire Regt

Howard was born in 1896 in Loughborough, Leicestershire, and in 1901 was living at 3 Burton Street, Loughborough, with father Wilfred, a Solicitor, mother Elizabeth, older sister Nora, younger brother Kenneth and two domestic servants. By 1911 the family had moved to The Knoll, Nanpantan, Loughborough and Howard had acquired two further younger brothers. Howard, however, was now at School and living as a boarder at 1 Athol Road, with his two cousins and 5 other pupils from School. The house was managed by Charles Kelsey, a master at School.

On leaving School, Howard returned to Loughborough and entered the business of William Moss & Sons Limited, Contractors, a firm founded by his grandfather. In August 1914 Howard obtained a commission in the 1/5th Leicester Regiment and was attached to the 2/5th Battalion at Luton and St Albans, where he was promoted to Lieutenant.

Howard was keen for active service and, relinquishing his recent promotion, proceeded to the Front as a 2nd Lieutenant to join the 5th Leicesters. He arrived in France on 24th August 1915 and on the 31st joined "A" Company of his Regiment in the trenches to the south west of Zillebeke in the Ypres Salient.

It did not take long for his "baptism of fire"! The History of the 5th Leicestershires reports that on 1st September 1915 in reply to an Allied bombardment, the Germans heavily shelled the Leicestershires' trenches causing many casualties. Howard and a fellow officer, 2nd Lieut Tomson, had two miraculous escapes when "first a 5.9 dud passed straight through the roof of their dugout and on into the ground almost grazing Tomson's side. These two then went round to wake Captain Hastings, who was resting in another dugout, and the three had only just left when this too was blown in, burying Capt. Hastings' Sam Browne Belt and all his papers." The Battalion was relieved by the Lincolnshires on 2nd September and became

Brigade reserve for 6 days. The fine weather had ended and it rained hard all the time while the Battalion undertook working parties, repairing dug-outs and trying to drain water-logged communication trenches. They had had a dismal time and were glad to get back to the trenches, however heavy enemy bombardments and the blowing of a mine gallery caused casualties of 11 killed and 39 wounded in 6 days, when they were relieved and marched back to huts at Dickebusch.

On 22 September the Battalion received orders to make a feint gas attack by throwing smoke bombs and lighting straw in front of their parapet to make the Germans expect an attack along the Hill 60 - Sanctuary Wood front, the blue line squares 29 to 24 below.

This action was to be in support of an attack at Hooge by the 3rd and 14th Divisions. The deception worked and enemy fire was concentrated on the Battalion's trenches rather than the attack further north. However the intensity of the bombardment was such that the Battalion had suffered 14 killed and 40 wounded by the time they had returned to the Brigade support lines. Their sacrifice was sadly in vain as the attack failed, with in excess of 4,000 casualties.

This action was the last the Battalion saw in the Salient, as on 2 October they entrained south to the Bethune area to support an attack on Fosse 8 and the Hohenzollern Redoubt. On 25 September, the opening day of the Loos Battle, the left of the British attack had been directed against Fosse 8 and, although initially successful, counter attacks from Auchy and Haisnes returned the Redoubt to the Germans. A few days later a further attack had been mounted, but proved disastrous, heavy casualties being incurred for little gain.

Another attempt was now to be made, with the Battalion in Brigade reserve, the initial advance being made by the 4th Leicestershires and 5th Lincolnshires, side by side, followed by the 4th Lincolnshires and Monmouthshires, each extended along the whole Brigade frontage.

The Battalion arrived in Hesdigneul, some 4 miles south of Bethune on 6 October and on the 8th and 9th, the company commanders and seconds in Command reconnoitered the trenches in front of Vermelles, where the Brigade was to assemble. It was expected that the attack would begin on 10 October, and rigorous assault training was carried out, in particular bayonet practice and Mills grenade throwing. However an attack by the enemy on the 9th delayed the assault by 3 days. A small scale model of the Redoubt and Fosse 8 had been constructed opposite the Divisional Headquarters in Gosnay, and on the 10th the Battalion was taken by Companies to study this and have details of the attack explained. It was felt that as attacks at dawn and dusk had been commonplace, and expected by the enemy, that the attack would begin at 2 p.m.

On the 12th, the Battalion marched to Vermelles arriving at 10-5 p.m. However it then took a further 8 hours to reach the assembly position, the communication trenches being hopelessly congested and the men having to stand for long periods of time

heavily laden with sandbags and shovels as well as their rifles and ammunition. Eventually they reached the Reserve Line, where a hot breakfast was received.

The bombardment opened at 12 noon and at 1 p.m. chlorine gas was discharged from cylinders in the British front line, which caused the enemy to retaliate, opening heavy fire on the front line trenches to try and burst the cylinders, which they managed to do with limited success. At 2 p.m. the attack began, and as the two waves advanced, the Battalion moved up to the front line trenches to be ready if required. The attack had not gone well and despite reports that the waves had passed the first German line and were going forward against considerable opposition, many men were now returning to the British lines.

The War Diary reports that the Redoubt had been captured but the lines had been checked and stopped by heavy machine gun fire from Mad Point, Madagascar and South Face. The Redoubt and part of North Face was held but Little Willie and Big Willie trenches were still in German hands. At 3 p.m. B Company was sent up to reinforce the centre and left of the Redoubt, followed by A Company, including Howard.

The Battalion History describes the advance: " A Company followed. Keeping his platoons more together and on a smaller frontage, Captain Hastings decided to attempt a bayonet attack against the German opposition on the left of the Redoubt, and himself led his men up to the attack. Again platoon commanders were the first to fall, and as they climbed out of our trenches, 2nd Lieut. Lawton was mortally wounded in the stomach and 2nd Lieut. Petch badly shot through the arm. However, this did not delay the attack, and the Company, crossing the German front line, quickened their pace and made for the junctions of "Little Willie" and "N Face." Once more bombs and machine guns were too hot for them, and first Capt. Hastings, then 2nd Lieut. Moss were killed near the German second line, leaving the Company in the hands of 2nd Lieut. Tomson and C.S.M. Gorse, who at once organized the platoons for the defence of the second line, realizing it was useless to try to advance further.2nd Lieut. Petch, in spite of his wound, remained several hours with his platoon, but eventually had to leave them. The ground was covered with the dead and wounded of the other Battalions, Fosse and Dump trenches were filled with Germans and machine guns, "S Face" and both "Willies" were full of bombers, and worst of all the machine guns of Mad Point, Madagascar and the Slag-Heap had apparently escaped untouched. There was only one thing left to do, and that to hold what we had got against these bombing attacks, and consolidate our new position without delay."

The Battalion was relieved the following day having clung on to their foothold in the Redoubt, however the victory was short lived, the Germans quickly taking the position back in a counter-offensive. Over the two days the 46th Midland Division had suffered 3,583 casualties for no gain. Howard's body was recovered and he was buried in the British lines in the approximate position above, behind Northampton Trench. After the war his grave was located during the post war clearance of the Battlefields and his body identified by the remains of his uniform and his named tobacco pouch.

Howard's body was exhumed and reburied in the Cabaret Rouge British Cemetery with as many as 7,000 graves concentrated here after the war from over 100 local cemeteries and burial plots. He is buried in Plot XXVII, Row G, Grave 47. He was just 19 years old and had been at the front for a mere 6 weeks.

Probate was awarded on 19 April 1916 to Wilfred Moss, Solicitor. Effects £168 0s. 1d.

Howard 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 has 47 bells, all of which were cast at John Taylor Bell Foundry in Loughborough. The carillon was built by Howard's uncle's firm, William Moss and Sons Ltd.

Alec's cousin Howard is also commemorated on the Loughborough Carillon.

The Hulmeian – December 1915

Old Hulmeians and the War

Second-Lieutenant H J H Moss who was killed in the attack on the “Hohenzollern Redoubt” on October 13^th was a pupil at this school from 1906 to 1911. He was the eldest son of Mr and Mrs Wilfred Moss, Nanpantan, Leicestershire. After leaving school he entered the business of W Moss & Sons, contractors, Loughborough. In August last year he obtained a commission in the 1^st/5^th Leicesters, and was attached to the 2^nd/5^th at Luton and St Albans and while at the latter place was promoted Lieutenant. He was very keen for active service, and, relinquishing his star, joined the 5^th Leicesters at the front as second-lieutenant.

Writing to Mr Wilfred Moss, Lieut. Col. C H Jones, commanding the 5^th Leicesters, says: “You will doubtless have heard officially already of the death of your son. I am so very sorry about it. I had only just written to you to say how much I valued him. We were in attack on 13^th October, and your son was splendid. He did all that duty and honour could demand. He was killed leading his men in battle, and when that has been said all that can be said has been said. In all sympathy with you in your great sorrow.”

Lieutenant Moss quickly proved his abilities as an officer, was highly esteemed by his colleagues and was exceedingly popular with the men of the 5th Leicesters. He was only 19 years of age at the time of his death.

Old Hulmeians War Memorial 1914 - 1919