George Moor Explained

George Raymond Dallas Moor
Birth Date:1896 10, df=yes
Birth Place:St Kilda, Victoria, Australia
Death Place:Mouvaux, France
Placeofburial:Y Farm Military Cemetery, Bois-Grenier, France
Allegiance:United Kingdom
Branch:British Army
Serviceyears:1914–1918
Rank:Lieutenant
Unit:Royal Hampshire Regiment
Battles:First World War
Awards:Victoria Cross
Military Cross & Bar

George Raymond Dallas Moor, (22 October 1896 – 3 November 1918) was a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. He was awarded the Victoria Cross for stemming a rout by shooting four of his own soldiers during the Gallipoli campaign in 1915.[1] [2]

Early life

Moor was born 22 October 1896, in his mother's sister's home in Pollington Street, St Kilda, Australia. He was the son of William Henry Moor (Auditor-General, Transvaal, retired) and Mrs. Moor, and nephew of the late Sir Ralph Moor, formerly High Commissioner for Southern Nigeria. He was educated at Cheltenham College.

First World War

After briefly serving as a private in the 21st (Service) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers, Moor was commissioned into the 3rd (Militia) Battalion of the Hampshire Regiment (later the Royal Hampshire Regiment) in October 1914, and was later granted a commission in the Regular Army on 1 August 1915. After six months' training in England and Egypt, he went with the 2nd Battalion of his regiment to the Dardanelles, and was at the landing at V Beach at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915.

His Victoria Cross was gazetted on 24 July 1915, when he was still only 18 years of age. The citation read:

Lieutenant General Sir Beauvoir de Lisle, in a narrative of Moor's VC action, said, "I have often quoted this young Officer as being one of the bravest men I have met in this War."

Moor was invalided home soon afterwards suffering from dysentery. After recovering he joined the 1st Battalion in France and was badly wounded in the arm. He returned to England, and before regaining the use of his arm was appointed Aide-de-Camp to Major General W. de L. Williams in France, where he gained the Military Cross and Bar. Moor was promoted lieutenant on 30 October 1916.

His Military Cross citation, gazetted 2 December 1918, reads:

The award of a Bar to his Military Cross was promulgated on 29 July 1919, reading:

Moor died of Spanish influenza[3] at Mouvaux, France, on 3 November 1918. He is buried in the Y Farm Military Cemetery, Bois-Grenier, which is cared for by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. The inscription on his gravestone reads: VINCAM ET VINCAM. A copy of his VC is displayed at the Royal Hampshire Regiment Museum in Winchester, England.

Bibliography

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Sheffield, Gary. Gary Sheffield (historian). Forgotten Victory: The First World War: Myths and Realities. 2001. London. Headline. 9780747271574.
  2. Web site: Lewis-Stempel . John . 2021-11-11 . The tragic story of George Moor, the 18-year-old who won a Victoria Cross at Gallipoli and survived the Somme, only to die days before the end of the First World War . 2023-09-17 . Country Life . en.
  3. Wever . Peter C . van Bergen . Leo . September 2014 . Death from 1918 pandemic influenza during the First World War: a perspective from personal and anecdotal evidence . Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses . 8 . 5 . 538–546 . 10.1111/irv.12267 . 1750-2640 . 4181817 . 24975798.