J. Sydney Moore
Photo: Dorothy Hall
Son of Mr. and Mrs. R. Moore, of 3, Church Bank, Shotley Bridge, Co. Durham.
In St. John's Churchyard is a family headstone which reads:
In loving memory of
Robert Moore
who died at Shotley Bridge
December 29th ?1931
in his 73rd year.
And his wife
Annie
who died August 29th 1944
in her 82nd year.
Also John Sydney
aged 25 years.
and Thomas Stephenson
aged 20 years
sons of the above
who were killed
in the Great War 1917.
Paul Heatherington has submitted the following:-
John Sydney, known as Sydney, was born in the summer of 1892 in Shotley Bridge. He was the son of Robert Moore, a coal miner from Northumberland, and Annie Stephenson, from Stocksfield. He was the second son in a family of five boys. His brothers were William, Thomas, Robert and Norman. The family lived at 3, Church Bank. Sydney worked as a miner.
Sydney enlisted in the Royal Horse and Royal Field Artillery. He was awarded the Military Medal for gallantry.
The Newcastle Journal 21/06/1917 reports:-
Presentation to Military Medallist
An enthusiastic meeting was held in the Wesley Hall Shotley Bridge, organised by the local Soldiers' Send Off Fund, when Sergt. Sydney Moore R.A. second son of Mr R. Moore of Church Bank was presented with a gold watch, from the inhabitants of the village, in honour of his having won the Military Medal for his courage and devotion to duty, in having, amid heavy shell fire, maintained the telephone wires which connected the lines of communication with the observation posts. It was also intended that the medal should have been given to Sergt. Moore at this gathering but on receipt of command from York the gallant Sergeant proceeded to Newcastle on Sunday and received this distinction at the hands of His Majesty the King. Mr Surtees Leslie presided and Lieut. Col. S.G. Cranford C.M.G. Gordon Highlanders who is a brother in law of Mr Hugh Walton-Wilson of Shotley Hall introduced Sergt. Moore. Mr F. Priestman presented the gold watch to Sergt. Moore and the recipient suitably responded.
Sydney was killed in action on Flanders on the 31st July 1917, at the age of twenty-five years. He is commemorated at the Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres.
Sydney’s younger brother Thomas was also killed in the war.
The Newcastle Journal 13/08/1917 reports:-
Out of eleven playing members of Shotley Bridge Cricket Club who joined the colours ten have made the supreme sacrifice. The number includes 2nd Lieut. George Shorter, 2nd Lieut. A. Hickford, Sgt Sydney Moore and his brother (Pte. Tom Moore) L.Cpl L. Tweddell and Pte. Geo Fox.
The brothers are remembered at Shotley Bridge on S27.01 S27.03 and S27.06