Harry Moody
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
Henry was the son of Mary Moody, who was unmarried. Mary was born in Eakring, Nottinghamshire, in 1850, the daughter of Samuel and Edith Moody (née Knowles) and baptised at Eakring St Andrew on 2 June the same year. She had five children who were all born in Eakring. Four survived infancy or childhood: Benjamin b. 1880 and James William b. 1885 (J/F/M) who were both baptised at St Andrew's church, Harry b. 1894 (A/M/J) and Lily b. 1895. In 1881 Mary (29), a general labourer, was living with her parents and brother James (24), also a general labourer, and his wife Eliza, in Eakring Mary's son Benjamin, who was born the previous year, has not yet been traced on the census. However, in 1891 Mary and her sons Benjamin (11) and James (6) were living on Mansfield Road, Eakring, with her unmarried brothers, William (54) and John (40), and their widowed mother. Mary was living on Town Street, Eakring, by 1901 and was head of household. Also in the home on the night of the census were her son Harry (7) and daughter Lily (5) together with her brothers William, a stockman on a farm, and John, a threshing machinist. Mary described as a housekeeper (home), on the 1911 Census, was still living in Eakring in 1911 with her son Benjamin, a farm labourer, and her brothers William, an army pensioner and farm labourer, and John, 'unable to work', who were both described as boarders. Mary's three other children were still living in Eakring; James and Harry were both farm servants in the household of farmer, Herbert Burne, while Lily was a domestic servant in the household of Walter Burne, farmer. Harry probably joined the Grenadier Guards before the war as he was serving in theatre by November 1914. His mother Mary Moody died in 1926.
4th Bn Grenadier Guards Harry served in theatre from 8 November 1914. It is likely, therefore, that he had joined the Grenadier Guards before the outbreak of war. He was taken prisoner and died of illness on 15 October 1918 at the POW Hospital, Stargard, Pomerania, Germany. Harry is buried in Berlin South-Western Cemetery, Brandenburg, Germany (grave ref. IV.A.2). The grave was brought in to the cemetery from another burial ground after the Armistice. He qualified for the 1914 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal. CWGC - History of the Berlin South-Western Cemetery (extract): 'In 1922-23 it was decided that the graves of Commonwealth servicemen who had died all over Germany should be brought together into four permanent cemeteries. Berlin South-Western was one of those chosen and in 1924-25, graves were brought into the cemetery from 146 burial grounds in eastern Germany. There are now 1,176 First World War servicemen buried or commemorated in the Commonwealth plot at Berlin South-Western Cemetery. The total includes special memorials to a number of casualties buried in other cemeteries in Germany whose graves could not be found. The following cemeteries are among those from which graves were brought to Berlin South-Western Cemetery [listed].' (www.cwgc.org)
CWGC headstone personal inscription: 'He died that we might live rest in peace' Registers of Soldiers' Effects: his mother, Mary Moody, was his legatee. Medal Rolls Index Cards: The Grenadier Guards requested authority for the disposal of Harry's medals in July 1922.
