Sgt Herbert William MOSS, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders

Gentlemen,

I have been asked by a friend to assist her in researching her father’s WW2 military service. He was HERBERT WILLIAM MOSS, born 16 Sep 1925, died 26 Apr 2010. According to the 1939 Register he was then a baker’s apprentice living in Sawtry, Hunts. He was the son of John William and Rhoda Mary (nee Harradine) Moss and is believed to have enlisted under-age against his mother’s wishes. (So may have used a false dob?)

His daughter knows he served as a Sergeant with the Argyle & Sutherland Highlander Regiment and landed with them in Normandy on D-Day and went to France, Belgium, and Germany.

She tells me – “I know he was in hospital a long time with what is now PTSD. I know he was leading his group and instead of sending someone forward to do a recce he went himself, but while doing so a shell burst over his men and everyone but him got hit. He ended up as a mess sergeant at battalion HQ Schloss Benkhausen in charge of the officer’s mess.

A Canadian, Colonel Robertson was in charge there and mum & dad used to go to Canada on holiday with them. We weren’t allowed to ask him about what happened to him, and as he got older he got very emotional about it all.”

In order to look at the correct War Diary I have been trying to establish which Battalion Herbert was in, (possibly the re-constituted 2nd, from the 15th?) but haven’t found conclusive proof of that yet.

The daughter THINKS his army number was 14426903, although Herbert’s brother, Walter (who suffers from dementia) thinks it was 422693. So far I have been unable to make sense of either of them.

I have suggested to the daughter that she applies for his SR, but any help or suggestions so we can fill in some of the blanks will be most welcome.