50 Jam Tins

One of the Troopers identified to have been with the Cheshire Yeomanry in Norfolk on coastal defence duties was Frank Blatchford Moore.

He was unlucky enough to have two accidents whilst in camp with the Yeomanry at Langley Park, Norfolk, both falls from a horse. After leaving hospital in Cambridge, and whilst convalescing at home, he discussed camp life with the Chester Chronicle who published the following report.

Chester Chronicle - Saturday 24 October 1914 INJURED YEOMAN’S EXPERIENCES LIFE IN CAMP: STORY OF NORTHWICH BOYS Trooper F.B. Moore, of No. 5, The Crescent, Northwich, has returned home from the Eastern General Hospital at Cambridge, in the hopes of making a good recovery from injuries sustained while in camp. Trooper Moore, who is well known in the town, is a member of the Cheshire Yeomanry and has been in camp at a place near to Bungay on the East Coast. He had an interesting story of camp life tell our representative, who found him in excellent health after his term of "roughing it." "The Cheshire Yeomanry," said Trooper Moore, "who are at present on the East Coast, are forming part of the Welsh Mounted Brigade, which comprises the Cheshires, Shropshires and Denbighshires, and the Shropshire Royal Horse Artillery. A detachment of the R.A.M.C. and Army Service Corps are also in the camp. The regiments of Yeomanry are seven miles apart, but it is possible to form a brigade at the shortest notice.” "To give you an idea of camp life, the day’s programme includes the sounding of reveille at 5.30 a.m., and at 6 o’clock we are in the stables. There we spend one hour, and at 7 o’clock the horses are fed and the men go breakfast. At 8 o’clock we are obliged to saddle-up, and half an hour later we turn out. Some days we get squadron drill, and others it is outpost schemes and tactical exercises with occasional night alarm about an hour after ‘lights out.’ The men return to camp at 1 o’clock, after having watered the horses in the surrounding rivers. Grooming then takes place, and following the feeding of the horses we go down for dinner. It is always the horses before the men. For an hour after dinner the men are allowed to rest, the time being spent in writing letters and reading the daily papers. We fall in for rifle drill on foot, and drilling is proceeded with until about 5 o’clock. The horses are then taken and watered and fed and this done, the men retire for tea. All who are not on night guard are free from 7 till 9.45, when lights out is blown and roll call takes place in each tent. The night guard is posted at 7 o’clock, and consists of nine men from each squadron, who serve terms of two hours on and four hours off, all through the night till reveille. Occasionally you will be detailed for main-guard; that is, guarding all approaches to the camp and patrolling the ammunition carts. "The night alarm is an exciting time in camp. One squadron with a Maxim gun defend the camp while the remaining two squadrons endeavour to capture the camp, using only recognised roads, lanes and by-passes. A very amusing incident occurred one evening, when the defending company posted a picket about 200 yards down a road which promised a good attack. A string of ABOUT 50 JAM TINS were stretched across the path and the picket then lay in waiting. On came the attacking squadron all mounted and unsuspectingly rushed into the tins, which made a terrible clatter. All the horses stopped, and the men were captured before they had time to realise what had happened. "This is only one the many amusing incidents we see. Another was when a private was in the act of watering a horse. Mounting the horse’s back, he waded right into the centre of the river. Unfortunately, the horse slipped and the man took a lovely dive. What made the occasion more ludicrous was that the Captain came along and uttered an angry threat to the man, who stood in the middle the river wet to the skin, for disturbing the horses during watering.”

Frank Blatchford Moore was born at Northwich, Cheshire, in 1888, the son Alfred Shaw Moore (1863-1903) and Catherine Molyneux Roberts (b.1864). Alfred and Catherine were married in Salford, Lancashire, in 1883.The 1911 Census identifies Frank was a Commercial Clerk with an Alkali Manufacturer (likely Brunner Mond and Co.).

Although the Service Records for Frank no longer survive, some brief information is available.

Medal Roll Index Cards identify military service as a Private with:

• Cheshire Yeomanry - (No. 1030)
• Machine Gun Corps - (No. 7470)

No information has been identified to confirm when the transfer from the Cheshire Yeomanry to the Machine Gun Corps occurred or where he served. Military service was however overseas based on the medals which Frank Moore was entitled to:

• British War Medal 1914-18
• Allied Victory Medal
• Territorial Force War Medal 1914-19

Frank survived the war and died in Northwich on 28 December 1943, aged 55. A Trustees Notice regarding his estate published in The London Gazette of 31 March 1944 identified Frank as a “Purchasing Official” at the time of his death.

See, Lives of the First World War: Profile

Please add comments below if you have additional information on Frank Moore.