Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Great War M.C. group of four to Captain W. N. J. Moscrop, late Durham Light Infantry, who was killed in action at Maizy, in the Battle of the Aisne, 27 May 1918

Military Cross, G.V.R., unnamed, in case of issue; 1914-15 Star (Lieut., Durh. L.I.); British War and Victory Medals (Capt.) extremely fine (4) £1400-1600

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals to the Durham Light Infantry and associated units.

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M.C. London Gazette 1 January 1917.

M.I.D. London Gazette 1 January 1916.

William Noel Jobson Moscrop was born on 16 January 1892, the son of William Jobson Moscrop of Ashcroft, Darlington. Educated at Durham School, he was training to be an architect when the war intervened. He was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the 5th (Territorial) Battalion Durham Light Infantry on 9 August 1913, holding the rank of Temporary Lieutenant, August 1914-May 1915. He entered the France/Flanders theatre of war with the 1st/5th Battalion on 18 April 1915 and was promoted to Lieutenant on 15 May of that year. Holding the rank of Temporary Captain, September 1916-August 1917, he remained in the theatre of war until a fever required him to take sick leave to England in November 1916, by which time his services, which included the 2nd Ypres, Kemmel and the Somme, had merited the award of the Military Cross and mention in despatches. He returned to France in February 1917, rejoining the 1/5th Battalion in the field in March of that year. Attached to 50 Division H.Q. on 23 June 1917 and was promoted Captain on 12 August 1917. Posted then to 150 Brigade H.Q. on 1 January 1918, he returned to front-line service with the 1st/5th Battalion D.L.I. on 1 May 1918, serving as Adjutant. In March 1918 he was granted a permanent commission in the Royal Fusiliers; a position however, he was destined never to take up. He was serving with the the 1st/5th D.L.I., based at Maizy when the Germans launched the opening attack of the battle of the Aisne, on 27 May 1918. He was reported missing in action on that day and later presumed killed. He was confirmed as killed when his and other graves were discovered in 1919 - the location indicating that he and his group of men died fighting whilst covering the bridge at the south end of Maizy. Captain Moscrop’s body was then reburied in Vendresse British Cemetery. Sold with copied research.