KILLED IN ACTION 26th OCT 1918.Shot down in flames over Belgium by leading German Naval Air Service 'Ace' Oblt zur See Gotthard Sachsenberg.[BIOGRAPHY]Alexander Edward Moir was born on 28th February 1894 at Broughty Ferry, Scotland. Previously a trainee lawyer in Dundee he travelled to London in early January 1915 and enlisted as a private into the 23rd (1st Sportsmans) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers.
The Battalion arrived in France on 16th November 1915 where they took part in the Winter Operations seeing later action at The Battle of Festubert and The Battle of Loos. In July 1916 it fought its first battle at Delville Wood on the Somme where it suffered 288 casualties.The Battalion moved to Arras in April 1917 and was heavily engaged in the Battle of Arras, including the vicious fighting during the attack on the Oppy-Fresnoy Line on 3/4 May 1917.
It was for his great gallantry in maintaining communications by repairing telephone lines under withering enemy machine gun and artillery fire during this action that the then Acting Sgt Moir was awarded his Military Medal. (London Gazette 18 July 1917).
His officer, Lt Bull was awarded the military cross for his similar efforts.Alex Moir then applied for a commission in the Royal Flying Corps on 25 October 1917, and after successful pilot training was posted to No. 65 Fighter Squadron (Sopwith Camels) serving in France.
No 65 Squadron was formed at Wyton on 1 August 1916 from a nucleus flight supplied by Norwich training station and used a variety of types for training until it left for France with Sopwith Camels in October 1917. It began flying defensive patrols over the Western Front and in February 1918 began ground attack missions with light bombs on enemy troops and battlefield positions.
In August 1918, it moved to the Belgian coastal sector and provided escorts for day bombers attacking enemy bases. It was during this period that Moir was killed.
During the last weeks of the war the squadron covered the Allied advance into Belgium.
His tenure at the squadron was tragically short and encompassed only 13 sorties in late 1918. He was killed in action on 26 October 1918, just 16 days before the armistice when his aircraft was shot down in flames near Essenghem by k
Oberleutnant zur See Gotthard Sachsenberg, the Commanding Officer of Marine Jagdgruppe I, Flanders.
Sachsenberg was a notable ace and holder of the Pour le Mérite who ended the war with 31 victories, Moir being his 29th victim.
Alex Moir was initially buried as 'an unidentified RFC airman' but was later exhumed in 1920 where he was finally identified by the presence of his Cox & Co cheque book which was still in the pocket of the tunic in which he was buried.
He was finally buried and still rests with eternal honour at Anvaing Churchyard Cemetery, France. ALL MEDALS PRACTICALLY MINTSOLD with part-exchanges very welcome.