IWM

Royal Aero Certificate 2100 27th November 1917

Royal Naval Air Service Card

Flight Magazine March 7th 1918

Durham Roll of Service G Moore entry page 69

Geoffrey Moore was born on the 12th January 1895 at 5 The Cloisters, Sunderland, the youngest son of Lieutenant-Colonel Maurice Moore, of Westburn House, and his wife Florence Mary, daughter of Samuel Storey, formerly M.P. for Sunderland. He was the youngest brother to Captain Edward Hayden Moore. The eldest brother was Maurice Storey Moore, born 19th August 1891, at 5 The Cloisters, Sunderland, died 27th February 1956. They had a younger sister called Mary, born 5th December 1899 at 3 Grey Road, Sunderland. She died on the 28th February 1919 in the flu epidemic at Westburn House, Thornhill Terrace, Sunderland and was buried in Bishopwearmouth Cemetery on the 5th March. In 1901 the children were residing at 3 Gray Road, in Sunderland with 5 servants.

Geoffrey was educated at the Orkney House private preparatory school, in Bedford from 1907 to 1909. Then was educated at Haileybury College from 1909 to 1911, before obtaining his B.Sc., in 1915, at Armstrong College at Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

On the outbreak of war he was still a student at Armstrong College, but at the earnest request of his Grandfather, Samuel Storey, he continued his studies until he got his degree. Also he put in some work at an aeroplane factory at the same time to gain practical knowledge and he worked in the workshops at a local aerodrome whilst studying.

He was gazetted a Flight Sub-Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Air Service on the 18th October 1915, and gained his wings in a Maurice Farman Biplane at Eastchurch at the Royal Naval Flying School, on the 27th November. Geoffrey then was promoted to Lieutenant on the 1st April 1917.

[Unlike the RFC, the RNAS was organized on a non-central basis so there were several No 1 Squadrons. Even Wings numbers were not consistently given to the same unit, so there are many exceptions in historic data. At the start of the war there were three wings 1, 2 & 3. As the war progressed, other wings were formed.Wing 1 was on both sides of the English Channel in 1914.Wings 2 & 3 were sent to the Dardanelles for the Gallipoli Campaign, but Wing 3 was disbanded when the campaign finished and was absorbed into Wing 2 for service in Salonika.Wing 3 was reformed in 1916 for Strategic bombing, disbanded in 1917, Wings 4 & 5 were expanded from Wing 1, the former being fighters and the latter having bombing duties. Wing 6 was formed for patrolling the Adriatic Sea, but was expanded to Malta by 1918 Squadrons serving in France were given numbers from 1 to 17. At the formation of the Royal Air Force on 1 April 1918, they became 201 to 217 squadrons of the RAF.Squadrons serving in the Eastern Mediterranean were given letters (A to G, and Z).In 1918, Squadron A became Squadron 222; Squadron B became Squadron 223; Squadron C became Squadron 220; and Squadron D became Squadron 221, all of the RAF. Squadron Z was transferred to the Royal Greek Navy].

He spent four months flying at home. Then in February 1916 he proceeded to Gibraltar, then in November to Lemnos, finally arriving at Salonika. Whilst he was at Gibraltar he had applied for a transfer to "where there was more fighting."

Geoffrey returned to the UK in July 1917. He was then sent to Mudros on the 15th October 1917. In January 1918 he took part in the bombing of the 'Goeben' and 'Breslau'.

He was killed in an aircraft accident flying an Airco BH4 Bomber, which crash-landed near Mudros Aerodrome, Greece on February 26th, 1918.

His commanding Officer later wrote:- He was starting off on a long reconnaissance flight, and had just got a few hundred feet off the ground, when the machine dived in to the earth, he and his observer, C. O. Palmer, were both killed instantly. It seems impossible to explain it, as the machine and engine had been specially overhauled for the flight, and Geoffrey was a good and careful pilot. It was a great blow to us, as he was certainly one of the most popular men in the wing. He was full of pluck, and I always liked to have him with me, as I knew him to be reliable, and would never fail if we got into a tight corner.

Geoffrey was Mentioned in Despatches [London Gazette, 28th November 1917] by Lieutenant-General G. F. Milne, C.B., D.S.O., for gallant and distinguished conduct while at Salonika.

He was unmarried.

De Ruvigny Roll of Honour

In his will he left to his parents effects of £923 12s 10d. Dated the 26th June.

Acknowledgements : Pat Storey

Geoffrey Moore is remembered at Newcastle on NUT063, in Durham D47.151 page 69, at Sunderland on S140.141 and in S140.048 Part 8, page 154.

Armstrong College Digital ROH book
Haileybury College WW1 Roll of Honour
The CWGC entry for Flight Lieutenant Moore