MOUSSEY CHURCHYARD
Vosges
France
GPS Coordinates: Latitude: 48.42522, Longitude: 7.01698
Location Information
Moussey is a village in the Department of the Vosges some 51 kilometres north-east of Épinal and 16 kilometres north-north-east of the small town of St Die on the D49. The graves of ten British soldiers lie in the south-west portion of the churchyard close to the wall.
Historical Information
There are now 10, 1939-45 war casualties commemorated in this site. All but three of the Commonwealth servicemen buried here were captured and shot by the enemy. On the plaque are the names of two other U. K. soldiers, details below.
2583876 Signalman George Gourlay Johnston, Royal Corps of Signals attached to G. H. Q. Liaison Regiment, Royal Armoured Corps was murdered after being captured on the 20th October 1944, aged 28. His body was never found and he is commemorated on the Groesbeek Memorial in the Netherlands.
Lieutenant James Lovitt Silly is buried in Moyenmoutier Communal Cemetery, a few kilometres west of Moussey. For more details click on the cemetery link.
Moussey is a village in the Department of the Vosges some 51 kilometres north-east of Épinal and 16 kilometres north-north-east of the small town of St Die on the D49. The graves of ten British soldiers lie in the south-west portion of the churchyard close to the wall.
Historical Information
There are now 10, 1939-45 war casualties commemorated in this site. All but three of the Commonwealth servicemen buried here were captured and shot by the enemy. On the plaque are the names of two other U. K. soldiers, details below.
2583876 Signalman George Gourlay Johnston, Royal Corps of Signals attached to G. H. Q. Liaison Regiment, Royal Armoured Corps was murdered after being captured on the 20th October 1944, aged 28. His body was never found and he is commemorated on the Groesbeek Memorial in the Netherlands.
Lieutenant James Lovitt Silly is buried in Moyenmoutier Communal Cemetery, a few kilometres west of Moussey. For more details click on the cemetery link.
Images in the gallery © Johan Pauwels
The following three S. A. S. soldiers were shot at Pexonne on 19th September 1944 after being taken as prisoners of war
(The plaque gives the date of death as 16th September 1944)
Headstone images © Johan Pauwels
14567132 Private
John Joseph Conway
2nd Special Air Service Regiment
19th September 1944, aged 19.
John Joseph Conway
2nd Special Air Service Regiment
19th September 1944, aged 19.
4200829 Lance Corporal
John Herbert Elliott
2nd Special Air Service Regiment
19th September 1944, aged 27.
John Herbert Elliott
2nd Special Air Service Regiment
19th September 1944, aged 27.
321375 Sergeant Michael Benedict Fitzpatrick M. M. 2nd Special Air Service Regiment, died 19th September 1944, aged 27.
The following S. A. S. soldier was shot in the head at Moussey on 18th August 1944 after being taken as a prisoner of war
(The plaque gives the date of death as 19th August 1944)
Headstone images © Johan Pauwels
5550151 Sergeant,
Rudolf Friedlaender D. C. M.
2nd Special Air Service Regiment, died 18th August 1944, aged 36.
Served as R LODGE.
Son of Dr. Max Friedlaender and Bella Friedlaender, of Twickenham, Middlesex.
His headstone bears the inscription "Our Sacrifice Will Not Be Futile If The Survivors Have Learned The Lessons Of This Disastrous War"
Rudolf Friedlaender D. C. M.
2nd Special Air Service Regiment, died 18th August 1944, aged 36.
Served as R LODGE.
Son of Dr. Max Friedlaender and Bella Friedlaender, of Twickenham, Middlesex.
His headstone bears the inscription "Our Sacrifice Will Not Be Futile If The Survivors Have Learned The Lessons Of This Disastrous War"
Images below © Johan Pauwels
177329 Lieutenant Geoffrey Charles Castellain, 2nd Special Air Service Regiment was killed in fighting near Raon-l-Étape on 12th October 1944, aged 24.
(The plaque gives the date of death as 11th October 1944)
Son of Ernest Frederick and Annie Ethel Castellain, of Hill Deverill, Wiltshire. Scholar of Westminster School and Christ Church. Oxford. His headstone bears the inscription "He Gave His Life For His Friends"
(The plaque gives the date of death as 11th October 1944)
Son of Ernest Frederick and Annie Ethel Castellain, of Hill Deverill, Wiltshire. Scholar of Westminster School and Christ Church. Oxford. His headstone bears the inscription "He Gave His Life For His Friends"
The following two S. A. S. soldiers and an Unknown French soldier were shot at Harcholet on 16th October 1944 after being taken as a prisoner of war
Images below © Johan Pauwels
315950 Private Selwyn Percival Brown, 2nd Special Air Service Regiment, A.A.C., died between 7th October 1944 and 16th October 1944, aged 36.
14410725 Private Donald Lewis, 2nd Special Air Service Regiment, A.A.C., died 16th October 194, aged 18. Son of Charles and Lily Lewis, of Potters Bar, Middlesex. His headstone bears the inscription "A Brave Lad Died That Others Could Live"
315950 Private Selwyn Percival Brown, 2nd Special Air Service Regiment, A.A.C., died between 7th October 1944 and 16th October 1944, aged 36.
14410725 Private Donald Lewis, 2nd Special Air Service Regiment, A.A.C., died 16th October 194, aged 18. Son of Charles and Lily Lewis, of Potters Bar, Middlesex. His headstone bears the inscription "A Brave Lad Died That Others Could Live"
The following soldier was shot in Moussey Wood on 20th August 1944 after being betrayed, captured and tortured
(The plaque gives the date of death as 19th August 1944)
Images below © Johan Pauwels
6898743 Sergeant Gerald Donovan Davis, G.H.Q. Liaison Regt., Royal Armoured Corps, died 20th August 1944, aged 26. Son of Mr. and Mrs G. H. Davis, of Maidenhead, Berkshire. His headstone bears the inscription "Loyal Unto Death"
The following Soldier was killed in action on or shortly after 20 October 1944 between Fontenoy-la-Joûte and Domptail while exfiltrating to Allied lines after Operation Loyton during the North-West Europe Campaign. In the same incident, Signalman G. G. Johnston was murdered after being captured. The patrol commander, Lieutenant P. B. Johnsen, King's Royal Rifle Corps was wounded but escaped. Originally buried at Fontenoy-la-Joûte, his remains were later reinterred at Moussey Churchyard, France.
Images below Johan Pauwels
2369000 Signalman Peter Bannerman, attd. 2nd Special Air Service Regiment, A.A.C., Royal Corps of Signals, died 20th October 1944, aged 23. Son of George Beattie Bannerman and Isabella Bannerman, of Inverbervie, Kincardineshire. His headstone bears the inscription "Thy Will Be Done"
The following soldier was accidentally killed at Moussey on 26th September 1944
(The plaque gives the date of death as 28th September 1944)
Images below © Johan Pauwels
BNA/13301351 Corporal Boris Kasperovitch, attd. 2nd. Special Air Service Regiment, A.A.C., Pioneer Corps, died 26th September 1944. (Served as Boris KING).
