Pte 24362 George Moss

• Age: 23
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Sunday 30th July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

George Moss was born in Liverpool on 17th June 1893 as George Clements, the son of Arthur Clements and his wife Martha (nee Moss) who married in 1890 at West Derby Register Office. George was baptised on 07th July 1893 at St Peter's Church, Liverpool. Their address is given as Binns Raod and his father is employed as a coachman. His mother was born in Broad Green, Liverpool, in 1871, and his father in West Derby in 1867. 

His parents appear to have separated not long after George’s birth, and his mother reverted to her maiden name.

The 1891 Census shows the family living at 331 Binns Rd, Liverpool.

Arthur is aged 23 and Martha 19, they have a 6 month old son Arthur who sadly died 2 years later. 

The 1901 Census shows George, aged 7, living with his grandparents at 331 Binns Road. His grandfather is James Moss a coal porter born in Winsford in 1845, whilst his grandmother was born in Liverpool in 1847. Also present are their children; James 22, Samuel 19, Florence 16 and William 11. 

Martha Moss, single, 28, is working as a domestic cook in Toxteth Park. 

Arthur Clements, 32, who describes himself as single, a builder’s clerk, is visiting Mary and Louisa Davenport in Deva Road, West Kirby.

On 1911 Census, George is aged 17, still living with his grandparents but they have moved to 295 Binns Road, Liverpool, he is employed as a wagon repairer. Both grandparents are present as are their children recorded as; Elizabeth 42, James 22 (probably 32), Ada (daughter in law) aged 29, Samuel 29, Winnie aged 2 noted as daughter but she is probably the daughter of Samuel and Ada.  

Martha Moss, 39, single, born in Broad Green, is boarding in Mill Lane, Wavertree, 

His father, 42, working as a cab driver, has set up home at 7 Norton Road, West Kirby, with Mary Kershaw (listed as Clements), her two children Edith, 18, and Charles, 15, and their son Stanley, 5, and daughter Dorothy, nine months.  Another child, William Arthur, born in 1908, died in infancy.  They state they have been married for six years, but no marriage has been found, as his wife was still alive.

Another son, Harold James, was born in 1913.

George enlisted in about January 1915 as George Moss in Liverpool joining the 19^th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 24362.

Formed on 07^th September 1914 the 19^th 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.

George arrived in France with his battalion, disembarking at Boulogne on 07th November 1915.

He was killed in action on the 30^th July 1916, aged 23, at the village of Guillemont, France, during the Somme Offensive. 

19^th Battalion Diary 30^th July 1916

MALTZ HORN FARM

BATTLE begun. ZERO hour 4:45 am. The Battalion reached its objective, but suffered heavy losses, and had to evacuate its position owing to no reinforcements.

Everard Wyrall gives details of the attack in his book The History of The King’s Regiment; 

"The 2nd Attack on Guillemont- 29th July 1916 the 89th Brigade the 20th King's were to attack on the right and the 19th on the left. During the evening of the 29th the night was dark and foggy when the Battalions moved off and the 19th with Lt Col G Rollo commanding, when passing the South east of the Briqueterie they were heavily shelled first with H E and then with a new kind of asphyxiating Gas shell which had curious results, at first it had no nasty effect but about 8 hrs later men began to fall sick with violent headaches and pains in the stomach. All ranks had to wear gas masks which in the darkness and mist made the going terribly difficult. It was indeed wonderful that they were able to reach their Assembly point at all. But they did and by 2.45 a.m. on the 30th July 1916 the Btn was assembled having suffered about 30 Casualties on the way up ready for the Zero hour at 4.45 a.m.

It is known that the two left Companies of the 19th under Capt. Dodd and Capt. Nicholson advanced in touch with the 2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers on their left although they suffered many casualties from Machine gun Fire did not encounter many Germans and reached their final objective about the time allocated, beginning at once to dig in south of the orchard on the South east corner of Guillemont.  

On the left of the 19th the Scots Fusiliers most gallantly forced their way through Guillemont to the eastern side of the village but were soon overwhelmed by the enemy and few returned. 

At 8 a.m. finding that the village was not held the two left Companies of the 19th received no word from the rear or either flank believed themselves to be totally isolated so were forced to fall back and dig in, their position being untenable.

At midday the effective fighting strength of the 19th Btn was just 7 Officers and 43 other ranks" 

When darkness fell on the battlefield the 30^th Division held a line from the railway on the eastern side of Trones Wood , southwards and including Arrow Head Copse, to east of Maltz Horn Farm. On this line the division was relieved by the 55^th Division during the early hours of the 31^st July.

Casualties in the 19^th Battalion were 11 Officers and 435 Other Ranks 

The events of 30^th July 1916 were regarded at the time as Liverpool’s blackest day. There follows an extract from The History of the 89^th Brigade written by Brigadier General Ferdinand Stanley which gives an indication of the events of the day.

Guillemont

Well the hour to advance came, and of all bad luck in the world it was a thick fog; so thick that you couldn’t see more than about ten yards. It was next to impossible to delay the attack – it was much too big an operation- so forward they had to go. It will give some idea when I say that on one flank we had to go 1,750 yards over big rolling country. Everyone knows what it is like to cross enclosed country which you know really well in a fog and how easy it is to lose your way. Therefore, imagine these rolling hills, with no landmarks and absolutely unknown to anyone. Is it surprising that people lost their way and lost touch with those next to them? As a matter of fact, it was wonderful the way in which many men found their way right to the place we wanted to get to. But as a connected attack it was impossible.

The fog was intense it was practically impossible to keep direction and parties got split up. Owing to the heavy shelling all the Bosches had left their main trenches and were lying out in the open with snipers and machine guns in shell holes, so of course our fellows were the most easy prey.

It is so awfully sad now going about and finding so many splendid fellows gone.    

George's body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme as George Moss.

The Thiepval Memorial, the Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, bears the names of more than 72,000 officers and men of the United Kingdom and South African forces who died in the Somme sector before 20 March 1918 and have no known grave. Over 90% of those commemorated died between July and November 1916. 

On 01st August 1932 the Prince of Wales and the President of France inaugurated the Thiepval Memorial in Picardy. The inscription reads: “Here are recorded the names of officers and men of the British Armies who fell on the Somme battlefields between July 1915 and March 1918 but to whom the fortune of war denied the known and honoured burial given to their comrades in death.”

His death was reported in the Liverpool Echo - Monday 21 August 1916: 

Killed 

Private George Moss was 23 years of age. The only son of Mr and Mrs Arthur Clements, a well-known player of the Rathbone AFC. 

Liverpool Daily Post - Monday 11 September 1916 

Killed. 

King’s (Liverpool Regiment) - Moss, 24362, G. (Liverpool); 

Soldiers Effects to mother Martha Clements. 

His Army pay and a War Gratuity of £6-10s went to his mother Martha, who was awarded a pension of 5/- a week, at the time living at 20 Herrick Street, Stanley, Liverpool. (James Moss, her father or brother, lived at this address.)  His pension documents were not received in the Pension Office from the Paymaster until March 1919. The reason for the long delay is not known.

He is commemorated as George Moss on the St Anne's War Memorial, Liverpool.

His parents apparently submitted his name for commemoration separately to Liverpool’s Hall of Remembrance.  He appears on Panel 18 as G. Moss, and on Panel 9 Right as G. Clements.

His father died in the March quarter of 1919 aged 50.  It is not known when his mother died.  

Martha remarried as Clements in 1920 to widow George Edgar Leathwaite and appear on the Electoral roll at 8 Queens Rd, Everton. George served in WW1 as Pte 25429 15/KLR and received a pension, first wife Margaret died 1920. 

On the 1939 Register George and Martha are living at 10 Fincham Green, Huyton. She died aged 71 in 1943.  

His half brother Harold served in the Royal Artillery, 149 (The Lancashire Yeomanry) Field Regiment in the Second World War and was killed on 22nd July 1942 during the North African campaign. Harold was 28 years old and married with a young son. He is commemorated on the Alamein Memorial, Egypt.

We currently have no further information on George Moss, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.