Current Information:

Age-22

77, Fortunegate Road, Harlesden

At the outbreak of war in 1914, the 3rd Middlesex battalion were in India but they soon returned home where they joined 85 Brigade of 28th Division. In late January, 1915, 28th Division arrived in France and being a regular division they were quickly put into the trenches which in the case of 85 Brigade meant water-logged positions south of Ypres near St. Eloi and Oosthoek. It was a far cry from the warmth of India and there were many cases of sickness and frostbite. 

On the night of 6th/7th February, 1915, 3rd Middlesex moved into the front line south-east of St Eloi and south-west of Oosthoek. Here they spent the next four days in hellish conditions. The trenches were knee deep in water, the German shelling was continuous and they suffered nearly ninety casualties as well as having 80% of the battalion afflicted by frostbite. Relieved on the night of 11th/12th February they moved back to billets in Kruistraat but their rest did not last long. The following evening they were back in the trenches and, with reports of the enemy sapping right up to their trenches, they spent the rest of the night digging a new line, one hundred yards to the rear. Ralph Moore was killed on this day, probably as a result of shell fire.