William Kirby and Brenda McMahon have submitted the following:-
James Moyle was born in 1910 at Wingate, Durham County. He was the son of James (coal miner hewer) and Jemima (nee Hamilton). The couple married in the Easington area in 1901. They went on to have 5 children who all survived childhood.
By 1911 the family of 11 persons were living in a 3 roomed accommodation at 137 Humble Lane Wingate. The entire family seem to have been crammed into the home including siblings Phillis, Alfred, Mary, Beatrice plus Valentine Hamilton (father in law) an aged miner weighman and his wife, Phillis. Also living there were Cuthbert Hamilton, brother in law and his young daughter, Jane. Cuthbert was employed at the colliery as a screener (banksman) above ground.
James married Emily Sims at Plympton, Devon in 1938. They went on to have 2 sons Ronald (born 1938 at Plympton) and James E. (born 1941 in Durham Eastern). In 1939 they were living with Emily's parents at 34 Milbanke Terrace Wingate.
James enlisted into the army and joined the East Yorkshire Regiment. He served in Palestine for a time. Hr rose to the rank of Company Sergeant Major.
James died June 7th 1944, the day after the D Day landings in Normandy. He is buried at Hermanville War Cemetery in the Calvados region of France. The village of Hermanville lay behind Sword Beach. Many of those buried there died on June 6th 1944 or in the first days of the drive to Caen.
His wife Emily added the following inscription to his headstone:- “God bless you Darling Beautiful memories Ever loving wife, sons & families. RIP
James Moyle is remembered at Wingate on W121.04
