1947712 Lance Sergeant Frederick William Moon MM & Bar, Royal Engineers

Sapper, Acting Corporal Frederick William Moon MM & Bar, 8 Field Squadron, 6 Armoured Division, 13 Corps, Royal Engineers.

Awarded MM.

Place: Passo Corse (7888) DATE: 8 Jun. 44

On 8 June when the leading troops were approaching Passo Corse Cpl. Moon forward with his troop leader to reconnoitre several demolitions on Route 4. After reaching the leading infantry he volunteered to go past them to examine the next blow. This he carried out successfully alone and brought back the necessary information. Later he lead his section forward with the leading infantry and cleared a diversion round the crater. This he carried out under accurate mortaring amongst the leading infantry.



LG 7.12.44.

Corporal Acting Lance Serjeant Frederick William Moon MM & Bar, 8 Field Squadron, 6 Armoured Division, 13 Corps, Royal Engineers.

Awarded Periodic Bar to MM.

L/Sjt Moon throughout th ebattle commencing at Argenta consistently set an excellent example of duty and courage to his men. The high standard of work produced by his section, no matter what the circumstances was entirely due to his cheerfulness and iniative. On the evening of 26 April 1945 L/Sjt Moon was in charge of a Class 9 Close Support Raft operating on the River Po crossing south of Gaiba. The raft was repeatedly shelled throughout the evening but L/Sjt Moon continued to ferry vehicles across the river without ceasing until th eraft was finally sunk by shell splinters near the south bank. His efforts helped in no small measure to ensure success of the Division's drive north to the Adige.


LG 13.12.45

 

Drew excellent



As ever many thanks for researching this info for me and posting.

Frederick William Moon MM & Bar who past away recently aged 95

 

Drew /Cl1
Interesting post the book I have Royal Engineers 6th Armoured Division actually carries very little about the action suffice to say that as a result of these operations L/Sgt F W Moon (8) a bar to MM

This has put the flesh on the bones, they actually ferried the 1st Guards Brigade, One Sqdn 12 Lancers,
two Sqdns Derbyshire Yeomanry.
Tac HQ Division incl 3 Tanks
REME Recovery Vhicles
Fld Park Sqdn
and all auxiliary Vehicles
625 Fld Sqn
626 Fled Sqn
8 Fld Sqn

 

My dad, Fred Moon, was born in Wealdstone, Harrow, on 5th September 1914.

He was the youngest son in a large family that moved with the railways, when the building of the railways was in its heyday, to Wealdstone from the Buckinghamshire village of Quainton at the turn of the 20th Century.

Fred’s own dad, also called Fred, served with the Royal Engineers in the Great War from 1914.

When the second world war came my dad and his nephew, Dick Moon, went up to London to sign up. Dick was taken on for the Navy but they told my dad he was too old. (Dick was killed when his ship, HMS Vervaine, was sunk on 20th February 1945).

Nevertheless, my dad did his bit for the war effort as an ARP Warden / Fire Watcher.

He finally got his wish and was allowed to sign up and was shipped off to North Africa after his training and found himself to be one of the eldest in his unit. His age, his experience and how he was generally quickly gained him a lot of respect, especially from the younger men out there with him. He was a strong, keen sportsman, organising football, boxing and other events that helped to quickly establish he was someone who they could trust to lead them, look after them and help keep them safe.

Some of these young men stayed with him throughout the war and kept in contact for years after. When he met some survivors just a few years ago they still treated him with affection and respect, like the hero he was. As one of his commendations said: “He consistently set an excellent example of duty and courage to his own men. The high standard of work produced by his squadron, no matter what the circumstances, was entirely due to his cheerfulness and initiative”.

He fought with the 1st and 8th Armies in North Africa and in Italy. His enduring memory of Africa was “millions of flies”. Italy, on the other hand, was a place he always spoke of fondly.

He went to the front of the North African and Italian campaigns as a pioneer to open up and prepare the way forward. He was regularly behind enemy lines.

He was at Monte Cassino, one of the bloodiest battles of the war. He survived that and pushed on northwards making it to Rome before the Americans. He met Pope Pius XII in the Vatican. He stood aside for the Pope and his entourage in the Basilica, as you do, but the Pope stopped and spoke to him and gave him a blessing.

He remembered the long forgotten fence that surrounded the Vatican during the war. One of the Vatican officials took him up to the top of St. Peter’s Basilica and out on to the balustrades where he looked out over Rome.

My dad carried on into Yugoslavia and Austria. Just like Italy, he liked Austria a lot, too.

During the war years he witnessed horrors and, in his own words, “things you would never want to see in your life”.

Despite the atrocious conditions my dad still described that period from 1940 to 1945 as “the best time of my life”. We were laughing with him about some of the things from that time even the night before he died. His memories of everyday recent events were very short in the last few months, but his memories of his earlier life, particularly the war, never faded. He always had plenty of events to recall.

I still have his medals. One of the attached photos shows him wearing them when he was about 92. The other shows him in Florence during the war. He always played down what he did, but the whole family were extremely proud of him, and always will be.

He remained independent and resourceful right up to his death. He still lived in the home that he and my mum had moved in to in 1939. Just six months before he died he finally agreed to us getting some helpers in for him a few times a day, round about the same time as he reluctantly gave up driving himself around.

He died on 16th March 2010.

 

Shep
Welcome to the forum and thank you for sharing your father's story here. Great first post.

Regards,
Diane

 

Shep
Welcome to the forum and thanks for the post it has enlightened me further, I
thank you for posting your fathers story it runs the same as my father's he was with a sister squadron to your fathers at the same time.

 

Hello There (my fist attempt on a site like this)

Can anyone help? My father (90 and still alive) Maj John Boyd MC was with 625 sqn with the 6th Armoured division. I know he served from 1939 until after the war was over. I know he was in North Africa, then Italy finishing in Austria. I believe he was involved at casino (rapido river) and that he got his MC at the river po. He is most proud of his mention in dispatches (I believe he got this by going behind enemy lines to rescue an italian family under the cover of darkness and against orders!). I understand a book was published (in Italy) covering this squadrons efforts in the war, Does anyone know about it? I would appreciate any help.

 

Hello and welcome to the forum.....Bare with me and I should be able to post your fathers Military Cross Citation in 10 minutes or so.

Regards
Andy

 

Shep
Welcome to the forum

Cheers
Paul

 

Here you go. Do you have any pictures of your father and or his medals you could post to add some bones to your thread?

The National Archives | DocumentsOnline | Image Details




Cheers
Andy

 

Thank you for this Andy. I was trying to find this book that tells some of the story of my fathers troop. All I know is that it was published in Italy soon after the war (I think). Unfortunately, all my fathers medals have been lost. I have one picture of him somewhere in italy, which I will post. I would also like to try and find his full service history, do you know how i might do this? I would like to find out the detail of his mention in dispatches also.

 

Simonboyd
Welcome on board, my late father was in the sister 626 Field Squadron, the book you are probably refering to is THE ROYAL ENGINEERS SIXTH ARMOURED DIVISION. My son bought me a copy from ABEBOOKS a few years ago.
You say your father is still alive he can apply to the Army Records Office, Glasgow for his service records as long as you get him to sign the documentation.
Andy has posted his Mentioned in Despatches document for you, and I am sure there will be a member who can point you in the right direction of office you need to contact for medals to see if you can get a replacement set.

 

Thank you for this Andy. I was trying to find this book that tells some of the story of my fathers troop. All I know is that it was published in Italy soon after the war (I think). Unfortunately, all my fathers medals have been lost. I have one picture of him somewhere in italy, which I will post. I would also like to try and find his full service history, do you know how i might do this? I would like to find out the detail of his mention in dispatches also.

You're welcome

I would apply for his service records first:

Army Personnel Centre - British Army Website

Then visit the national archives to view his units diaries.

Ref the Mention In Dispatches I couldn't find anything online (There isn't many online). I do know that a publisher is working on a MiD book (I think they are planning on listing all available WW2 citations) so watch this space - but maybe at least a year away yet.

Regards
Andy

 

Hi Shep and Simon, and welcome. Sounds like you have both made a great start in research and in two interesting stories. Keep us posted.

Mike

 

Thank you for this Andy. I was trying to find this book that tells some of the story of my fathers troop. All I know is that it was published in Italy soon after the war (I think). Unfortunately, all my fathers medals have been lost. I have one picture of him somewhere in italy, which I will post. I would also like to try and find his full service history, do you know how i might do this? I would like to find out the detail of his mention in dispatches also.
Hello Simon (Boyd),

In a search of my late father’s effects I have come across a very fragile copy of a book Royal Engineers Sixth Armoured Division printed in Padova, Italy 1946 by Tipografia Antoniana.

The book has a foreword by Maj. Gen. Murray and an introduction by Lt. Col. A.H.M. Morris.

In the book is mention of Capt. J. Boyd and his promotion to Major in charge of 625 field squadron in February (year ?).

Also that Major D.W Reid took over Maj. Boyd’s position in Italy early 1946.

Major J. Boyd is also listed in the book in the Honours and Awards section, as recipient of The Military Cross.

The book details the campaign from North Africa through Italy to Austria with all the bridgeheads and battles and who was involved.

Is this distinguished Captain/Major Boyd your Father? And is this the book you are looking for?

If it is the book you are looking for, although I wouldn’t want to part with it permanently, I would be very happy to lend it to you for your Father to read.

If it is the right book and you would like to borrow it please private message or email me with your contact details.

p.s. I attach a scan of one page of the book with what is possibly your father’s name shown in the 2nd paragraph.

 

Shep thank you for posting

 

Shep
If you read bottom of page 76 thru to page 77
Quote Major K J Speakman-Brown was posted to RETD CMF as O.C. Training Coy, Major E M Brown took command of 8 Field Squadron, and Cpt J Boyd was promoted to Major to command 625 Field Squadron. The year is 1945

 

Shep
Was your father in any of the mentioned Field Squadrons? if so let us know as mentioned earlier my late father was with 626 Field Squadron and I am always happy to share what I know.

 

8th field squadron,

 

Hello, I am wondering if you father is Major John Peter Macbryde Boyd MC? I am intouch through a ww1 forum with some one who is trying to get in touch with the above ww2 veterans family. They want to contact the family in relation to a memorial plaque in India. If you would like to get in touch with them then let me know.


Rich