Moore, Joseph Herbert Speight

BORN HULL 09/07/1897. SON OF JANE ANNE DOWNES (1858-1951) AND THE LATE WALTER MOORE (1859-1918), LIVING AT 9 NORTH BAR WITHOUT, BEVERLEY AND 43 WOODS LANE, BEVERLEY. HE HAD ONE BROTHER, WALTER AND ONE SISTER, PRUDENCE.

EDUCATED AT NEWLAND AVENUE BOARD SCHOOL. WAS A CLERK IN THE ESTATES DEPARTMENT, FOR THE NER RAILWAY COMPANY. UNMARRIED. HE WAS VERY MUSICAL, AN EXCELLENT PIANIST, A GOOD SINGER, AND ALSO A KEEN CHURCH WORKER. HE ENLISTED IN THE GRENADIER GUARDS, ON 29/11/1916. ARRIVED IN FRANCE, ON 18/08/1917. WAS SENT TO HOSPITAL WITH ‘TRENCH FOOT’, AND SEPTIC POISONING. REJOINED HIS UNIT AT THE END OF FEBRUARY 1917. REPORTED WOUNDED AND MISSING, AT VIEUX BERQUIN ON 13/04/1918, AGED 20. HE WAS WITNESSED MAKING A LAST STAND WITH ANOTHER OFFICER, SURROUNDED BY GERMANS. THEY COULD NOT BE RELIEVED. REDUCED TO ONLY 17 MEN THEY MADE A FINAL CHARGE AT THE ENEMY WITH FIXED BAYONETS, AND ALL WERE KILLED. A COMRADE WROTE, “HE WAS THE BEST PAL I EVER MADE OR SHALL EVER MAKE.” ANOTHER WROTE “EVERY MAN THERE THAT DAY WAS WORTHY OF THE VICTORIA CROSS.”
HIS DEATH IS REPORTED IN THE DE RUVIGNY ROLL OF HONOUR, VOLUME 5.


First name:
JOSEPH HERBERT SPEIGHT
Military Number:
28195
Rank:
Private
Date Died
13/04/1918
Place died:
Ploegsteert Memorial, Hainaut, Belgium
Age:
20
29 , GRAFTON STREET, HULL, EAST YORKSHIRE, UK