Soldier Record
William Ambrose Moss
Contributed by: Philip Rose, on 2008-11-13
| Rank | |
|---|---|
| First Name | William Ambrose |
| Surname | Moss |
| Year of Birth | 1897 |
| Year of Death | 1917 |
| Regiment | King's Royal Rifle Corps |
| Place of Wartime Residence | London |
William Ambrose's Story
William Ambose Moss son of Mr. and Mrs. W. Moss, of The Bridport Arms, Harrison St., Gray's Inn Rd., London.
William enlisted in Woolwich Kent as a Private Rifleman No 37651 with 13 Battalion King's Royal Rifle Corps.
During May 1917 William's parents recieved a letter dated May 7, 1917 informing them that he "is ill at 7 Canadaian General Hospital Etapls suffering from Bruised Shell Contusion right arm slight 23.04.1917". The family recieved further notification dated May 14, 1917 that William had been "discharged to details Camp Etapls" on the May 5, 1917.
On the 01 July 1917 at about 11.00am William was in the front line when a shell dropped right in the trench that killed 5 machine gunners, including William, and wounded 3 others. Those that died were killed instantly except for one who lived for a few hours.
The 5 dead were buried that night near some trees, the leaves of which were green, in one grave that was marked by 5 wooden crosses on which was marked there names, regiment, the date of death, the words "killed in action" and to which thier cap bades were fixed.
A letter from the Chaplin gives the map reference and position of the grave as Map 28 S.w.2 Square o 22 d 53. This is near the place that he was killed - beyond Wytschaete Ridge, Belgium. (near Wameke, south south east of Ypres).
This information is taken from a letter dated Sunday July 15, 1917 that was sent by Rifleman A Moss who happened to share the same sirname with William. They served in the same platoon No 6 and knew one another. They "chared up together" (brewed tea) and exchanged names and addresses in case anything happened to them. Rifleman A Moss was nearby when the shell burst in the trench and helped dig the dead and wounded out of the mud and "carry them reverently".
A letter from the Imperial war Graves Commission dated 25 Feb 1920 expalns thay William's grave located near Wambake, South South East of Ypres was exhumed and taken to the Messines Ridge British Cemetery, South of Ypres, Plot 2 Row F Grave 9 (Plot 2 F 42).
No additional memories have been submitted