Pte 24226 James Robert Moseley

• Age: 22
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 1st July 1916
• Commemorated at: Peronne Rd Cem Maricourt
  Panel Ref: II.G.26

24226 Private James Robert MOSELEY, 19^th Battalion KLR.

James Robert was born on the 28th December 1893 at 28 Coleridge Street, Kensington, Liverpool and was baptised the following year on the 25^th February 1894 in the Parish Church of Emmanuel, Everton, Liverpool. He was the eldest of three children, all sons, born to William Moseley and his wife Eliza Jane (nee Robert), who married at Christ Church, Kensington, Liverpool on 26^th January 1892. Robert was a 26 year grocers assistant of 25 Kensington, father James, whilst Eliza was aged 24 of 16 Farnworth Street, father William. 

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 13, Wightman Street, Liverpool. James is 7 years of age and lives with his parents and two siblings. His father, William, is aged 34, born in Liscard, Cheshire in 1867 is a grocer’s assistant, whilst his mother, Eliza Jane, is aged 33, born 1868 in Cheshire and has no occupation listed. His siblings, all born in Liverpool are listed as; William aged 5, born 1896 and Alfred aged 3, born 1898.

The 1911 Census shows the family now living at 92 Empire Street, Liverpool. James is now 17 years of age and lives with his mother and two brothers. His mother Eliza Jane head of the household and is aged 42, (Census shows year of birth as 1869) she is now recorded as having been born in Bethesda, Caernarvon, she has no occupation listed. She has been married for eighteen years and has had three children all of whom have survived. She has the three children still living with her, James Robert aged 17, is a letterpress printing machine minder, William aged 15, is a butcher’s assistant and Alfred aged 13 is at school.

James enlisted in Liverpool on the 15^th December 1914, joining the 19th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 24226. He gave his home address as 92 Empire Street, and his occupation as a letterpress printer (A newspaper reported he had worked in the "Courier" printing works).

Formed on 07th September 1914 the 19th Battalion trained locally at Sefton Park and remained living at home or in rented accommodation until November 1914. They then moved to the hutted accommodation at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 19th Battalion alongside the other three Pals battalions left Liverpool via Prescot Station for further training at Belton Park, Grantham. They remained here until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain.

He embarked for France with his Battalion on the 07th November 1915, disembarking at Boulogne. 

He was killed in action during the attack at Montauban on the 01^st July, 1916, aged 22.

19^th Battalion Diary

Zero Hour 7.30am . First day of the attack. The Battalion used up entirely in “carrying parties” for the Brigade. Battalion H.Q. in the “Chateau”, Maricourt.

Total casualties 01 -04/07/1916: 1 officer wounded, 12 other ranks killed, 53 wounded and 3 missing. 

His death was reported in the Liverpool Echo on the 02nd August 1916: 

Killed. 

Moseley, 24226, J. R. (Liverpool); 

He now rests at Peronne Road Cemetery, Maricourt, France.

Maricourt was, at the beginning of the Battles of the Somme 1916, the point of junction of the British and French forces, and within a very short distance of the front line; it was lost in the German advance of March 1918, and recaptured at the end of the following August.

The Cemetery, originally known as Maricourt Military Cemetery No.3, was begun by fighting units and Field Ambulances in the Battles of the Somme 1916, and used until August 1917; a few graves were added later in the War, and at the Armistice it consisted of 175 graves which now form almost the whole of Plot I. It was completed after the Armistice by the concentration of graves from the battlefields in the immediate neighbourhood and from certain smaller burial grounds. 

There are now 1348, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, 366 are unidentified and special memorials are erected to 26 soldiers from the United Kingdom known or believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials record the names of three soldiers from the United Kingdom, buried in other cemeteries, whose graves could not be found.

The cemetery covers an area of 3,787 square metres and is enclosed on three sides by a low red brick wall.

Soldiers Effects to father William, Pension to mother Eliza. 

James was named in a list of Pals who wanted to commemorate Private Harold Lee Birch Liverpool Echo on the 06th May 1916 

POPULAR “PALS” DEATH 

COMRADES’ SYMPATHY.  

The death is officially recorded of Private Harold Lee Birch of the “Pals” who was killed on April 24 by a bullet from a German machine-gun. He was twenty-six years of age and went to front with the first draft. He was educated at St. Saviours’, Everton, and Liverpool Collegiate School, Shaw-street, and his parents reside at 164, Granton-road, Everton. Private Birch was a well-known amateur footballer, and played for Clovelly for several seasons. Previous to joining the “Pals” he was a steward with the Cunard-Company. The captain of deceased’s battalion, writing to Mrs. Birch, the mother, states that Birch was one of the very best in every way, a keen soldier, a willing worker, and cheerful companion. Private Birch’s parents have also received the following tribute: —“On behalf of the boys of the section and platoon which your dear son Harold belonged, ask you to accept our most heartfelt sympathy on your very sad and sudden loss. He loved us all, and the absence of his genial and kind comradeship will ever keenly felt. It may be a slight consolation for you to know he died without the slightest pain, and in the midst of his comrades we laid him to rest to-day in a quiet and pretty little cemetery not far away, and paid our last tribute one, our old chum, who did his duty bravely, died nobly, and for his King and country’s honour. We ask you to accept this as a token of our respect. —Yours respectfully, Lance-Corporal R. Pugh, Private T. R. Robinson. Private H. Brown, Private S. Abraham, Private R. A. Horrocks, Private T. Lynch, Private J. Sinclair. Private F. E. Lowe, Private W. Hayward, Corporal Lunt, Private J. R. Moseley, Private G. S. Golding.” 

His father died, aged 59, in 1927 and his mother Eliza, date of birth 06th July 1868, is found living alone still at 92 Empire Street. She died aged 77 in 1945. 

His younger brother William served as a Private with the Royal Welsh Fusiliers during the war.

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