Captain Reginald Henry Hamilton Moore Royal Border Regiment was killed in action at Gallipoli on 11 June 1915.
Moore was the son of Colonel J H Moore RAMC and Mrs J E Moore of 3 Whitehall Place, London and Easterlands, Wellington, Somerset. He was born at Bareilly in India in December 1884.
He was in the Orange between 1898 and 1902 before going to Sandhurst.
He was initiated into Connaught Lodge No 2915.
Commissioned into the Border Regiment in 1903 he was promoted Lieutenant in 1905 and Captain in 1914.
The Battalion departed for the Dardanelles on 16 March 1915 with the 29th Division and Moore was the Adjutant at the time of his death:
“On June 10th we captured a trench. Early the following morning the Turks counter attacked, and in the confusion it seemed as if they would probably drive our men back. Capt. Moore who was at the time acting as adjutant, volunteered to lead an assaulting party back. Those with him say how magnificently he behaved, and at the head of his men he retook the lost position of the trench in a very few minutes.”
Accounts at the time report:
“The Turkish sap had approached to within 30 yards of ‘C’ Company’s trenches and the enemy had sandbagged a small redoubt from which to throw bombs into our trenches. A line of old trench ran from this point right into C Comany’s parapet, very similar to the situation at H11. The plan was for a storming party of thirty men (twenty-five from ‘C’ Company plus five from ‘A’ Company) under Lieutenant Wallace to crawl out of the saps already made by ‘C’ Company preceded by bomb throwers and dash the Turkish sap ahead. And then to move on down the Turkish trench towards the gully.
As soon as the storming party had successfully stormed the sap head ‘D’ Company under Captain Le Mesurier was to move on in support and reoccupy the trench. This company was to debouch through cutting made in the parapet. The attack was timed to commence at 10pm. The SWB were to cooperate by rushing a small Turkish redoubt in their front. At 10pm precisely the storming party under Lieutenant Wallace crawled under the parapet and made for the Turkish sap & a hand to hand fight with bayonets and bombs proceeded but the Turks gave way and retreated down the trench to lines by the storming party, the opposition being slight. ‘D’ Coy now pushed on behind the storming party and the whole moved down the trench together. The men carrying sandbags and fork for improving the trench. Le Mesurier pushed on ahead and [illegible] with Wallace and together with the bomb throwers gradually pushed the Turks back.
Captain Ward of ‘C’ Coy was killed by a bomb about 12 midnight but the attack was proceeding satisfactorily. Capt. Harrison was slightly wounded about 12 midnight. The following message was received from G.O.C.: “G.O.C. Division congratulates all ranks in the excellent work performed by them last night and feels confident that they will hold the ground gained at all costs” At 1am and again at 3.30am the enemy bombed the end of the communication trench. At 4.15am they retired. Our casualties were slight. About 4.30am the Turks made a counter-attack on the communication trench and Captain Le Mesurier was hit by a bomb. The men became a trifle demoralized & retreated about half way down the trench, the Turks occupying the portion vacated.
Captain R H H Moore happened to be in the trench at the time & rushing forward called on the men and successfully recaptured the lost part of the trench. He was killed by a shot in the head in doing so. His immediate and gallant action undoubtedly saved an awkward situation. Lieutenant Bradshaw was wounded in the counter-attack and died later. Lieutenant de Soissons was also wounded. Total casualties: 2 officers killed and 3 wounded, 12 other ranks killed and 33 wounded. The enemy fired about twelve heavy shells at the trenches during the day. ‘A’ Coy under Captain Mostyn relieved ‘D’ Coy in the captured trench and the barricade at the end was strengthened. Snipers successfully drove back bomb throwers who tried to come up and bomb the end of the trench.”
Bartle Bradshaw and Reginald Moore are buried in Twelve Tree Copse Cemetery.
His commanding officer wrote:
“On 10 June we captured a trench ; early the following morning the Turks counter-attacked and in the confusion it seemed as if they would probably drive our men back. Your son, who was at the time acting as Adjutant, volunterred to lead an assaulting party back.
Those with him say how magnificently he behaved, and at the head of his men he retook the lost portion of the trench in a few minutes. He was the best type of officer and had proved himself several times in action.”
A brother officer wrote:
“For a short, but critical, period in the Gallipoli operations he commanded the Battalion and his quiet and firm command earned the respect and confidence of all ranks”
Another wrote:
“On this occasion he again displayed that personal courage and coolness in danger which had been an example to his men from the commencement of the campaign”.