Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Alexander (Aleck) Leslie MOORE #4866 15th Battalion

Aleck Moore was born to Charles and Ada Moore at Penshurst Victoria, one of three brothers. By the time that Aleck was old enough to attend school the family had moved to Hope Street, Kilcoy. Aleck attended Mount Kilcoy school.

When Aleck attended the recruiting depot in Brisbane on 20th September 1915, he was probably following his elder brother Cedric who had enlisted ten days previously. Aleck gave his age as 18 years. It is possible he was younger than that as he was only 5’ 2 ½ “ tall and weighed in at only 112 pounds (51 kg). The regulations for enlistment stipulated a minimum height of 5’4” and if under the age of 21years, written permission of the parents. There is no indication that parental permission was obtained.

Aleck was placed in a depot battalion at Enoggera before being posted as a reinforcement for the 15th battalion. His brother Cedric was in the same echelon of reinforcements and it would seem that the two brothers were together until February 1917. Aleck and Cedric embarked together on the “Commonwealth” in Brisbane on 28th March 1916 bound for the training camps in Egypt. On 6th August, the brothers arrived in Marseilles and spent time in the British transit camp at Etaples before joining the 15th Battalion in October in a rest camp on the Somme.
As winter approached, the intensity of conflict on the front reduced considerably. Aleck was made a runner, basically a message carrier, perhaps on account of his age and size. On 1st February, a small but concentrated attack along a front of 500 yards by 200 odd men and three officers was mounted at Guedecourt. Aleck Moore was one of those who would go over the top.

Witnesses told the Red Cross Inquiry Service that as the party advanced, Aleck was wounded and placed into a captured dugout as the attack moved on. Some hours later, a German counter attack retook the trench that had been surrendered and Aleck found himself in enemy hands. Three months later, the German authorities advised that Private Moore A.L. 4866 15th Battalion AIF had died at a dressing station at Sachsenhausen on 11th February 1917. He was buried in an unmarked grave near the dressing station. Another soldier from the 15th Battalion, John McAtee was taken prisoner on 1st February 1917 and he also died at Sachsenhausen on 11th February. Perhaps Aleck and John were buried near each other.

Aleck Moore is commemorated on the tablets at the Australian National Memorial at Villers Bretonneux. He is in company with another 10,000 Australians who perished in France and have no known grave.