Pte
John William Mose
Information about birth
|
Year of birth: 1881 |
|
Place of birth: Chalk Farm, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom |
General information
|
Profession: Ship's Steward |
Army information
|
Country: Australia |
|
Force: British Expeditionary Force |
|
Rank: Private |
|
Service number: 4480 |
|
Enlistment date: 13/11/1915 |
|
Enlistment place: Casula, New South Wales, Australia |
|
Units: — Australian Infantry, 20th Bn. (New South Wales) (Last known unit) |
Information about death
|
Date of death: 20/09/1917 |
|
Place of death: Hanebeek Wood, Belgium |
|
Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
|
Age: 36 |
Memorial
|
Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial Panel: 23V |
Distinctions and medals 2
|
British War Medal Medal |
|
Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 2
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Enlistment place |
My story
John William Mose was born in 1881 in Chalk Farm, Middlesex near London. He emigrated to Australia in 1908 and worked as a Ship’s Steward before enlisting for the Australian Expeditionary Force late 1915. In October 1916 John joined the Australian Infantry 20th Battalion, part of the 5th Australian Brigade, of the 2nd Australian Division. The Division participated in the Battle of the Menin Road (20-25 September 1917), a stage of the Battle of Passchendaele.
The 20th Battalion attacked on the divisional left flank, going towards the ruins of Zonnebeke. The 18th Battalion was in support and the 17th and 26th Battalions were in reserve. Moments before the allied artillery barrage opened, the German artillery started shelling the jump-off lines of the 20th Australian Battalion. At 5.40 a.m. the allied artillery barrage came down, and the advancing Battalions went over the top. When the 20th Battalion crossed the Westhoek Ridge they took the full brunt of the German barrage, causing several casualties. Nevertheless the attack went on and the Battalion encountered only slight resistance, from a line of old concrete artillery shelters, causing a hold up. By 7.24 a.m. the allied barrage crept over the ridge above Hanebeek Wood, and the men went on to the first objective, which they captured around 7.30 a.m. The 20th Battalion had gained its objective and started to consolidate the line. The 18th battalion took over the attack to the second objective, taking Iron Cross Redoubt and Anzac House.
Enemy shelling was intermittent throughout the day, but the men held the line. 36-year old private John William Mose was killed in action during the attack on Hanebeek Wood. John has no known grave and is remembered on panel 23 of the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
The 20th Battalion attacked on the divisional left flank, going towards the ruins of Zonnebeke. The 18th Battalion was in support and the 17th and 26th Battalions were in reserve. Moments before the allied artillery barrage opened, the German artillery started shelling the jump-off lines of the 20th Australian Battalion. At 5.40 a.m. the allied artillery barrage came down, and the advancing Battalions went over the top. When the 20th Battalion crossed the Westhoek Ridge they took the full brunt of the German barrage, causing several casualties. Nevertheless the attack went on and the Battalion encountered only slight resistance, from a line of old concrete artillery shelters, causing a hold up. By 7.24 a.m. the allied barrage crept over the ridge above Hanebeek Wood, and the men went on to the first objective, which they captured around 7.30 a.m. The 20th Battalion had gained its objective and started to consolidate the line. The 18th battalion took over the attack to the second objective, taking Iron Cross Redoubt and Anzac House.
Enemy shelling was intermittent throughout the day, but the men held the line. 36-year old private John William Mose was killed in action during the attack on Hanebeek Wood. John has no known grave and is remembered on panel 23 of the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
Sources 7
|
"Passchendaele. The Day-by-Day Account", McCarthy C., London, Uniform, 2018, pg. 80-83. Sources used |
|
AIF-project https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/search Sources used |
|
Australian War Memorial https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/P10249055 Sources used |
|
CWGC https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1599878/mose,-john-william/ Sources used |
|
National Archives of Australia http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/SearchScreens/BasicSearch.aspx Sources used |
|
The Long, Long Trail http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/ Sources used |
|
War Diary Australian Infantry 20th Bn. https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1338583 Sources used |