John Moore

A Guardsman with 6th Bn., John died on 21st of September 1943 at the age of 21. 

John was born at Lowestoft on 19 January 1922, a son of Allen Edwin and Edith May Moore of Lowestoft Suffolk. In 1939 his family lived at 97 Cambridge Road, Lowestoft, and John was a draper's shop assistant. 

John served with the 6th Battalion Grenadier Guards. The Battalion landed at Salerno on 9 September 1943, as part of the second wave and the fought their way through to Battipaglia. On 19 September the Battalion received orders to move to Salerno to relieve the Sherwood Foresters. The Battalion War Diary has:

20 September 

1445 hours
No. 4 Company returned and were put in reserve.
2000 hours
The ROYAL ENGINEEERS laid Anti-Personnel mines in front of Company positions. At this time, although we could not see much enemy movement, there was plenty of noise. Rather heavier shelling than we had hitherto experienced and it was quite obvious that the enemy though thin on the ground had a great many automatic weapons.
2040 hours
Lieutenant BROCKLEBANK No. 2 Company took a patrol out through No. 1 Company lines in order to “brew up” German vehicles in a road 1100 yards in front of our lines. This was one of the only roads which the retreating Germans could use to get onto the main road running North from SALERNO. The Patrol met trouble before they reached the road from a large cemetery which was obviously held by a strong enemy post. The patrol got split but reformed again in No. 1 Company lines and started off again but met with the same result. Lieutenant BROCKLEBANK was very slightly wounded in the arm.

September 21
0820 hours
A Guardsman from No. 2 Company was blown up and killed on is own Company minefield. This was due to sheer stupidity. That warning ought to have been enough, but two men from the M.G. Platoon blew themselves up on the same field.
Increased shelling of our positions was noticeable, but did no harm.
A Patrol was sent out by No. 3 Company to recce up the road on West side of the river to Map Ref. 653323.

The three men who were blown in minefields were John, Guardsman Rynenberg and Guardsman Stretton. All three were buried at map reference 654312 and the reburied at Salerno War Cemetery. John is buried at III.B11; Guardsman Stretton at III.B.9, and Guardsman Rynenberg at III.B.5.