LESLIE ALFRED HOWARD MOORE
Regimental No. 63641
10 April 1890 – 2 September 1918
Leslie Alfred Howard MOORE seems to have lived an ordinary and unexceptional life. He was born on 19 April 1890, the second son of the five children born to Albert George Howard and Jane Susannah Evelyn (nee MOFFITT) MOORE. The boys in the family were all known familiarly by variants or shortened versions of their registered names, but Leslie’s familiar name was somewhat different, Archibald and Archie being used when he was registered at various schools. For the sake of clarity, however, he is referred to as Alfred throughout this biography.
Alfred’s grandfather, Captain Frederick George Moore, was a very early settler in New Zealand, and was pilot to Captain Wakefield in seeking land in the Nelson area in the 1840s. He and his wife Caroline lived in Melbourne for some years, until Caroline died in 1867, leaving four children between the ages of 4 and 11. Frederick returned to NZ to live and settled in central Wellington, living at various times in Sydney Street and on The Terrace. Frederick died in 1892 and was amongst the first burials in the newly formed Anglican section of Karori Cemetery.
Albert was Frederick’s youngest son, and grew up in Wellington after spending his first few years in Melbourne. In 1887 Albert married Jane and they set up home in Tasman Street, in the suburb of Mount Cook, producing four sons and one daughter during the next decade.
Regimental No. 63641
10 April 1890 – 2 September 1918
Leslie Alfred Howard MOORE seems to have lived an ordinary and unexceptional life. He was born on 19 April 1890, the second son of the five children born to Albert George Howard and Jane Susannah Evelyn (nee MOFFITT) MOORE. The boys in the family were all known familiarly by variants or shortened versions of their registered names, but Leslie’s familiar name was somewhat different, Archibald and Archie being used when he was registered at various schools. For the sake of clarity, however, he is referred to as Alfred throughout this biography.
Alfred’s grandfather, Captain Frederick George Moore, was a very early settler in New Zealand, and was pilot to Captain Wakefield in seeking land in the Nelson area in the 1840s. He and his wife Caroline lived in Melbourne for some years, until Caroline died in 1867, leaving four children between the ages of 4 and 11. Frederick returned to NZ to live and settled in central Wellington, living at various times in Sydney Street and on The Terrace. Frederick died in 1892 and was amongst the first burials in the newly formed Anglican section of Karori Cemetery.
Albert was Frederick’s youngest son, and grew up in Wellington after spending his first few years in Melbourne. In 1887 Albert married Jane and they set up home in Tasman Street, in the suburb of Mount Cook, producing four sons and one daughter during the next decade.
By 1896 the family were living in Wallace Street, also in Mount Cook. The two oldest boys, Len and Alfred, went to Mt Cook School, where Alfred was registered as Archie/Archibald. In 1898 the family moved again, to Bell Road on the eastern slopes of Brooklyn. Bell Road links Heaton Terrace (in Brooklyn) and Bidwell Street (in Mount Cook). The children attended Vogeltown School. In 1900 Jane was registered on the Electoral Roll as living in Ohiro Road, but at some stage the family address became Heaton Terrace.
During 1898 and 1899 both Len and Alfred were each enrolled for a few months at a time at Pihama School in Taranaki. They lived with their mother’s sister Annie. After being at Pihama from October – December 1899 Alfred returned to Wellington and lived again with his family, once again attending Vogeltown School where he was enrolled from February 1900 to December 1902. At the start of the school year in 1903 he was transferred to Brooklyn School where he stayed until August 1904. During the year Alfred survived a bout of typhoid, and also finished his formal schooling at the age of 14 to go to work as a salesman.
Alfred’s father Albert, who had become a successful commercial traveller, apparently had a nervous breakdown (as reported in the Evening Post on 31 May 1909) and was recovering at his home, but then became severely ill from typhoid, from which he died in July 1909. Albert was buried with his father Frederick in Karori Cemetery.
In 1910 Alfred became seriously ill again, this time with pleurisy, from which he recovered. On the 1911 and 1914 Electoral Rolls, Alfred was living with his widowed mother Jane in Heaton Terrace, Brooklyn and was working as a salesman.
On 24 April 1916 Alfred married Elsie Emma HUFTON, daughter of Helen and George Hufton, at Westport. Their son Kenneth Albert was born on 15 December 1916 in Wellington.
Later in 1916 both Alfred and his younger brother Claude were on the First Division Reserve Roll. Claude enlisted on 2 October 1916, rose through the ranks to become a Sergeant, and served with the Field Artillery on the Western Front, returning to NZ in 1919 without being wounded. Neither of Alfred’s other brothers served during WW1.
Alfred continued to work as a warehouseman for Ross & Glendining in Wellington until he too enlisted at Wellington on 23 May 1917. At that time he and his wife and son were living at 223 Parade, Island Bay.
At the time of enlistment, Alfred’s ‘apparent age’ was 27 years 1 month; he was 5 feet 10 inches tall, and weighed 152 pounds. His complexion was dark and he had brown eyes and black hair. His religious profession was Church of England. At his medical examination his eyesight was 6/12; his hearing normal, colour vision good; his limbs were well formed and joint movements full and perfect; his chest form was considered to be ‘fair’; his heart and lungs normal. He was free from hernia, varicocele, varicose veins, haemorrhoids and skin disease. There was distinct mark of vaccination on his right arm. He had the slight defect of tachycardia which was considered to be not sufficient to cause rejection of his enlistment.
Alfred was given the regimental number 63641 in H Company of 31st Artillery. For the next 10 months he was in New Zealand. While he was in training at Featherston camp in December 1917 he strained his back whilst putting up a fence. He was examined in February 1918 but found to have no spinal disease. He stated he felt giddy when he stooped. Again on 3 April 1918 at Featherston with the 38th Artillery, he complained of back pain and was sent to Wellington for an X-Ray. On 17 April the medical examination showed he had slight scoliosis, but was declared fit A for active service.
On 19 July 1918 Gunner Alfred Moore of the New Zealand Artillery left with the 40th Reinforcements as part of HMNZT 107 aboard ‘Tahiti’, bound for Plymouth, Devon. There were 1,117 troops on board the ship with 100 crew members. To pick up supplies, the ship stopped at Freetown in Sierra Leone where there were reports of influenza. Some of the officers from ‘Tahiti’ also attended a conference aboard HMS “Mantua” which had experienced an outbreak 3 weeks before. The ‘Tahiti’ sailed from Freetown on 26 August and the first of the soldiers suffering from influenza reported to hospital the same day. Alfred was one of those who became infected, and he succumbed on 2 September 1918 and was buried at sea on the same day. There were 68 men who died on board the ‘Tahiti’ and nine more died when the ship reached port. In all approximately 1,000 men on the ‘Tahiti’ were affected by the disease which was blamed on lack of quarantine with overcrowding and poor ventilation.
The following brief item appeared in the Evening Post on 20 September 1918:
“Gunner L A H Moore reported on Tuesday as having died at sea of influenza, was a well-known member of the Wellington Orphans’ Club. His eldest brother is Mr L A Moore, partner in the firm of Messrs Goodacre and Moore, indentors and importers, Tientsin, North China.”
(The Orphans’ Club was a social club, an off-shoot of the more well-known Savage Club, set up to promote the arts and assist charities.)
Alfred’s widow Elsie received his scroll in June 1921, his plaque in January 1922 and his British War medal in November 1922 at Adderly Street, Westport, where she and her young son were living with her mother. Alfred was not eligible for the Victory medal as he had not been on active service.
As well as being named on the Brooklyn war memorial, Alfred is named on the Westport war memorial. His name is also on the Wellington Provincial War memorial in the Karori cemetery, amongst those from Wellington who died and were buried at sea.
During 1898 and 1899 both Len and Alfred were each enrolled for a few months at a time at Pihama School in Taranaki. They lived with their mother’s sister Annie. After being at Pihama from October – December 1899 Alfred returned to Wellington and lived again with his family, once again attending Vogeltown School where he was enrolled from February 1900 to December 1902. At the start of the school year in 1903 he was transferred to Brooklyn School where he stayed until August 1904. During the year Alfred survived a bout of typhoid, and also finished his formal schooling at the age of 14 to go to work as a salesman.
Alfred’s father Albert, who had become a successful commercial traveller, apparently had a nervous breakdown (as reported in the Evening Post on 31 May 1909) and was recovering at his home, but then became severely ill from typhoid, from which he died in July 1909. Albert was buried with his father Frederick in Karori Cemetery.
In 1910 Alfred became seriously ill again, this time with pleurisy, from which he recovered. On the 1911 and 1914 Electoral Rolls, Alfred was living with his widowed mother Jane in Heaton Terrace, Brooklyn and was working as a salesman.
On 24 April 1916 Alfred married Elsie Emma HUFTON, daughter of Helen and George Hufton, at Westport. Their son Kenneth Albert was born on 15 December 1916 in Wellington.
Later in 1916 both Alfred and his younger brother Claude were on the First Division Reserve Roll. Claude enlisted on 2 October 1916, rose through the ranks to become a Sergeant, and served with the Field Artillery on the Western Front, returning to NZ in 1919 without being wounded. Neither of Alfred’s other brothers served during WW1.
Alfred continued to work as a warehouseman for Ross & Glendining in Wellington until he too enlisted at Wellington on 23 May 1917. At that time he and his wife and son were living at 223 Parade, Island Bay.
At the time of enlistment, Alfred’s ‘apparent age’ was 27 years 1 month; he was 5 feet 10 inches tall, and weighed 152 pounds. His complexion was dark and he had brown eyes and black hair. His religious profession was Church of England. At his medical examination his eyesight was 6/12; his hearing normal, colour vision good; his limbs were well formed and joint movements full and perfect; his chest form was considered to be ‘fair’; his heart and lungs normal. He was free from hernia, varicocele, varicose veins, haemorrhoids and skin disease. There was distinct mark of vaccination on his right arm. He had the slight defect of tachycardia which was considered to be not sufficient to cause rejection of his enlistment.
Alfred was given the regimental number 63641 in H Company of 31st Artillery. For the next 10 months he was in New Zealand. While he was in training at Featherston camp in December 1917 he strained his back whilst putting up a fence. He was examined in February 1918 but found to have no spinal disease. He stated he felt giddy when he stooped. Again on 3 April 1918 at Featherston with the 38th Artillery, he complained of back pain and was sent to Wellington for an X-Ray. On 17 April the medical examination showed he had slight scoliosis, but was declared fit A for active service.
On 19 July 1918 Gunner Alfred Moore of the New Zealand Artillery left with the 40th Reinforcements as part of HMNZT 107 aboard ‘Tahiti’, bound for Plymouth, Devon. There were 1,117 troops on board the ship with 100 crew members. To pick up supplies, the ship stopped at Freetown in Sierra Leone where there were reports of influenza. Some of the officers from ‘Tahiti’ also attended a conference aboard HMS “Mantua” which had experienced an outbreak 3 weeks before. The ‘Tahiti’ sailed from Freetown on 26 August and the first of the soldiers suffering from influenza reported to hospital the same day. Alfred was one of those who became infected, and he succumbed on 2 September 1918 and was buried at sea on the same day. There were 68 men who died on board the ‘Tahiti’ and nine more died when the ship reached port. In all approximately 1,000 men on the ‘Tahiti’ were affected by the disease which was blamed on lack of quarantine with overcrowding and poor ventilation.
The following brief item appeared in the Evening Post on 20 September 1918:
“Gunner L A H Moore reported on Tuesday as having died at sea of influenza, was a well-known member of the Wellington Orphans’ Club. His eldest brother is Mr L A Moore, partner in the firm of Messrs Goodacre and Moore, indentors and importers, Tientsin, North China.”
(The Orphans’ Club was a social club, an off-shoot of the more well-known Savage Club, set up to promote the arts and assist charities.)
Alfred’s widow Elsie received his scroll in June 1921, his plaque in January 1922 and his British War medal in November 1922 at Adderly Street, Westport, where she and her young son were living with her mother. Alfred was not eligible for the Victory medal as he had not been on active service.
As well as being named on the Brooklyn war memorial, Alfred is named on the Westport war memorial. His name is also on the Wellington Provincial War memorial in the Karori cemetery, amongst those from Wellington who died and were buried at sea.