Reginald Mountford Moses

Reginald Mountford Moses was born in Windsor on 27 August 1887. His parents were William Moses (1844 - 1923) and Elvina Mountford ( 1851-1935).

On 28 September 1917, Reginald, a bank clerk, applied to join the army. He was described as having brown hair and blue eyes and was 5 feet 8 and a half inches tall. His service number was 15977.

On 1 November 1917 he reported to the Liverpool Showgrounds for initial training. He was appointed as a driver in the Australian Army Service Corps, 1st Anzac Mounted Division. On 30 April 1918 Reginald was aboard the H T Port Darwin which departed Sydney to travel to Egypt where the ship arrived on 7 June 1918.

The soldiers were stationed at Moascar in Egypt which was an isolation camp for newly arrived soldiers. After two weeks they moved to another section of Moascar.

Painting by George Lambert - Last tents at Moascar

An AASC Training Depot had been established at Moascar. The Anzac and Australian Mounted Division Trains were formed in August 1917. The information on Reginald's Active Service form is limited but as there were no AASC motorised units in the Middle East, routine training at Moascar was essentially on horse transport for the provision of supplies, drivers for headquarters and field ambulances plus carting road making materials and engineer stores.

Reginald was attached to 37 Company from 27 November 1918 until 1 July 1919. Although the Armistice had been signed on 11 November 1918 it was many months before the Australian soldiers could return home.

On 2 July 1919 Reginald embarked on HMT Burma to return to Sydney arriving on 1 September 1919. He was discharged from the army on 24 September 1919.

Medals received by Reginald Mountford Moses included the 1914/1915 Star, the Victory Medal and the British War Medal

Windsor Gale

Windsor Gale was born in Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales on 7 August 1886. His parents were George Albert Gale (1841-1925)  and Sarah Thomas (1842-1925).

The 1911 England census shows that Windsor was living in a boarding house in Gloucester and worked as a commercial traveller. Grace Cotterill lived at the same boarding house and was also listed as a commercial traveller. Windsor and Grace married in June 1912 in Worcestershire. On 16 April 1914, their daughter, Beryl Audrey Grace, was born.

War was declared on 28 July 1914 and in 1915 Windsor Gale enlisted in the 10th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery as a gunner. Initially his rank was a bombardier and he later became a lance bombardier. His service number was 18091. 

Little information about Windsor Gale's service in France is available but I have located some information about the 10th Siege Battery of the Royal Garrison Artillery.

The Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA) was initially formed in 1899 as fortress-based artillery located on the British coast. From 1914 it grew into a very large component of the British forces. The RGA siege batteries were armed with heavy, large calibre guns and howitzers that were positioned some way behind the front line and had immense destructive power.

During the First World War the RGA had more than 550 siege batteries deployed overseas and at home. The 10th Siege Battery of the Royal Garrison Artillery was sent to France in February 1915. The 10th Siege Battery of the RGA used a 9.2 inch howitzer - a heavy siege howitzer that formed the principal counter-battery equipment of British forces in France during World War I.

One gun used by the 10th Siege Battery in 1915 in the Battle of Neuve Chapelle and the Battle of Festubert was referred to as 'Mother'. 'Mother' could fire a 130 kilogram round 9,200 metres. By the end of the war 692 9.2 inch howitzers had been in service and more than three million rounds of 9.2 inch ammunition had been fired during the conflict. The mark 2 9.2 inch howitzer with a longer barrel and increased range came into service in December 1916.

Each siege battery usually had four to six large weapons including 6 inch howitzers. A four-gun battery had seven officers and 208 other ranks; a six-gun battery had eight officers and 291 other ranks. The weapons were moved to a new location using horse drawn gun carriages.

Windsor Gail contracted pneumonia and died on 21 May 1918 in the General Hospital, Camiers, France. His body was buried at Etaples Military Cemetery, a Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery near Boulogne, France.

Windsor Gale was 31 when he died. He was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal.

References:

Siege Batteries, Royal Garrison Artillery - The Long, Long Trail 

Etaples Military Cemetery

Royal Garrison Artillery - Forces War Records

9.2 - inch BL Howitzer - Militaria

9.2 - inch Howitzer "Mother" - Great War Forum

 Battle of Festubert - Long Long Trail

Battle of Neuve Chapelle - Long Long Trail 

How many men in a siege battery - Great War Forum