Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Robert Thomas Moore was born 1889 in Howden le Wear, County Durham, one of 9 children, of whom only 5 survived, 1 boy and 4 girls, born to George Walker Moore (1863) of Witton Gilbert and his wife Jane Baxter (1867) native of Bishop Auckland. They were married in Bishop Auckland, December 1887 and his father worked at the coke ovens above ground as a labourer, Robert Thomas at the age of 18 was employed as a coal miner below ground at the colliery. Jane Moore nee Baxter died, 1909, in the district of Sedgefield, aged 42. George Moore and his children went to live at 80, West Chilton Terrace, Chilton, Ferryhill.
Robert Thomas Moore enlisted in Darlington, October 15th 1914 and was assigned as Private 13507 to the East Yorkshire Regiment, 6th Service Battalion. The 6th Battalion after initial training close to home was sent to Belton Park Camp near Grantham to join the remainder of the 34th Brigade, 11th Division. Belton Camp was not only a training camp but consisted of a hospital and small gauge railway.
February 21st 1915 a memorandum was sent from an officer of the Royal Army Medical Corp at the camp to the commanding officer of the East Yorkshire Regiment stating, “At 3.45 today one of your men (13507) was found dead in a pool about 400 yards from the hospital in the old camping ground. Could you send a man over to identify the body?" An inquest was held February 23rd and the verdict of the coroner was, “suicide by drowning during temporary insanity”. His father was not informed of his death until February 25th 1915, after the result of the inquest. Private 13507 Robert Thomas Moore East Yorkshire Regiment is buried in Londonthorpe St. John the Baptist Churchyard, Lincolnshire. England, no grave reference. He was 26 years old and single.
His father George as his sole beneficiary received two payments to the sum of 3 pounds 6 shillings and 2 pence on November 25th 1915. This was cancelled December 13 1915 as his son had been in service less than 6 months. His father repaid the sum of 3 pounds and 6 shillings March 14th 1916.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Robert Thomas Moore is remembered at Chilton on C107.01, C107.04 and C107.12
