Private 11442 William Albert Moore

2nd Battalion Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment)

Killed in action in the France and Flanders Campaign on the 15th September 1916 aged 22 years.

He is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France, Panel Ref: Pier and Face 10C, 10D and 11A

Born in Hinckley the son of Henry and Ellen Moore of Ashley Terrace, Leicester Road, Mountsorrel, Leics. Brother to Harry Samuel, George Walter, Joseph Frederick and Lydia Mabel. He joined the 2nd Battalion Sherwood Foresters prior to the Great War and in 1911, aged 18; he was training in Crownhill Barracks, Plympton, Devon

Named on the War Memorial, Rothley Parish Church Triptych Roll of Honour and on Mountsorrel War Memorials.

The War Diary for the day records:

All fairly quiet last night. 6.20am 1st Bn. Leicestershire Regt. passed through the battalion to attack their 1st objective. The Battn. got into position in attack formation ready to advance and take over position captured and vacated by 1st Leicestershires 1 hour and 30 minutes after their first advance, in the following order:

A Company with remainder of D Company in front line on a Two Platoon front. B & C Company each two platoons strong on a one platoon front in support.

7.30am.Battalion HQ moved up to where Battalion formed up.

7.50am. Battalion advanced 150 yards between companies and immediately came under heavy machine gun fire from our right front. We had not gone far before we heard the Leicesters were held up by M G fire and unable to get on. After an advance of about 500 yards we found the Leicesters about 150 yards in front of us so dug in in rear of them

8.00am. Battalion Head Quarters moved up to a shell hole immediately in rear of the Battalion.

8.15am.Orders were sent to O C 'A' Company to try to get in touch with the 9th Suffolk Battalion on our right. The Battalion dug in in shell holes.

8.28am. O C went up to O C Leicesters and asked if he required any support from us. No support was required. Both battalions have suffered heavily mostly from M G fire.

9.30am. A patrol was sent out from 'A' Company to reconnoitre German trench running N from Quadrilateral in front of Leicesters where men in our helmets could be seen on our left front. Patrol reported trench held by the bosche & heavily wired. NCO I/C patrol killed and 2 men wounded.

1.30pm Two Platoons of 'A' Company were sent forward to get in touch with the Guards on our left. All efforts to get in touch with the Suffolks on our right were unsuccessful.

5.40pm. Orders were received from Brigade to dig in and remain where we are.

6.20pm About 200 of the enemy were seen coming over the rise west of LESBOEUF advancing in a North Westerly direction. We opened fire at 1400 yards which seemed to be effective, this counter attack was broken up by the Guards on our left.

7.00pm. A large number of the enemy were seen advancing towards the Guards from LESBOEUF.

10.00pm. The battalion were heavily shelled during the day at short intervals. Sent a wire to the Brigade asking for major Street and Lt. Mellor to join from Transport.

CASUALTIES OFFICERS

KILLED: Lieutenants R W Fellows and S W Moult.

WOUNDED: Capt. G T March, 2nd Lieut.T A Barnes, 2nd Lieut. K Grounds, 2nd Lieut. W E Brandt, Lieut. Col. J W Hobbs (Remains at duty)

The dawn of the 16th rose after a fairly quiet night and very cold.