Trafford

Born during the March quarter 1888 in the Barton upon Irwell R.D. - ref:
8c/673, the son of Richard Smith & Elizabeth Warner Moores (nee Bridge)

1891 Census - 8 Broady Street, Stretford.   Son - aged: 3 - born:
Stretford.   Head of household - Richard Smith Moores - Married - aged: 37
- occ: Coal Merchant - born: Runcorn, Cheshire.   Also Elizabeth W. Moores
- Wife - aged: 35 - born: Heaton Mersey, Stockport.   Plus 5 siblings.

1901 Census - 8 Broady Street, Stretford.   Son - aged: 13 - born:
Stretford.   Head of household - Richard S. Moores - Married - aged: 47 -
occ: Coal Agent - born: Runcorn, Cheshire.   Also Eliza W. Moores - Wife -
aged: 45 - born: Heaton Mersey, Stockport.   Plus 5 siblings.

1911 Census - 8 Broady Street, Stretford.   Son - aged: 23 - occ: Assistant
Salesman at Coner Department in Warehouse - born: Stretford.   Head of
household - Richard Smith Moores - Married - aged: 57 - occ: Coal Agent
Proprietor - born: Runcorn, Cheshire.   Also Elizabeth Warner Moores - Wife
- aged: 55 - born: Heaton Mersey, Stockport.   Plus 4 siblings.

His mother - Elizabeth Warner Moores died in 1913, aged: 57 and his father
Richard Smith Moores died in 1914, aged: 60.

WO 363.  Enlisted on the 4th September 1914, aged: 27 years, 10 months.  
His occupation given as - Warehouseman.  He was 5 feet 7 1/2 inches in
height, he weighed 145 lb, his chest measurements were 34 - 37 inches.  His
eyes were Hazel, his hair Light Brown.   His complexion Fair.   He had Good
physical development and a normal pulse rate.  Religion - Wesleyan. 
Another record in his file states that he was aged 25 years.  Posted to
France on the 8th November 1915.

A Court of Enquiry was held on the 15th May 1916 to investigate the
circumstances when 11 men were buried in a mine on the 11th May 1916.  At
around 08.00 hrs on the 11th an shell landed on top of the mine, two more
shells landed in the same place and the mine roof caved in, burying the
men.  There were 30 men in the mine when the first shell landed, but some
managed to get out before the second shell landed.   A rescue party was set
to work at once and after an hour and a half, two men were rescued.

Personal property was directed to be sent to his sister - Marion W. Moores
at 42 Roseneath Road, Urmston and his medals to go to his brother - Lewis
Henry Moores, 3 Watson Street, Stretford.

The British were busy driving mine shafts in preparation for the
forthcoming Battle of the Somme 1916.

Death reported in the List of casualties in the 22nd May 1916 edition of
the Manchester Evening News.   It stated that he was the brother of Mrs.
Reynolds, 72 Roseneath Road, Urmston and prior to enlisting, was employed
by Messrs. Parry and Son and Hanson's, Mosley Street, Manchester.  It goes
on to say that as there was no Wesleyan Minister available, his burial took
place with those Church of England men killed by the same shell.    From
that it would appear that they recovered the bodies from the mine.  There
is a portrait photograph of him alongside the report.

The others reported as killed in this incident were - Arthur Howarth - John
Grice - Frederick Brierley - Robert Deakin - Peter Ford - Charles Hall -
Ernest Walton - Alan Webster.  They were all from the Manchester Rgt and
all 9 of them commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.   Were they properly
buried and their graves lost during the following battles, or were their
bodies left in the mine shaft and the position lost?