John was from a very devout family that belonged to the Strict and Particular Baptists in Southborough, Kent.

A bootmaker by trade, he had just turned eighteen when he enlisted in late September 1915. He joined the Royal Navy and was quickly sent to the 5th Nelson Battalion in the Eastern Mediterranean.

At the beginning of the war, the Royal Navy had found itself with over 20,000 men surplus to the requirements of its ships. Therefore an Infantry Division of three naval brigades and a marine brigade was formed. The men fought alongside the Army, but retained naval ranks, structures and traditions.

John’s service record shows that he was originally sent to the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force (MEF), where the Royal Naval Division was fighting at Gallipoli. However, he arrived there in October 1915, and was transferred to various postings in the Aegean Islands at least three times before being sent to the Anson Battalion on the 21st of March 1916.

He would have landed in France with his unit in May 1916, and then travelled north to the Pas de Calais. At the end of July 1916 the battalion was near Aix Noulette, a small village around 20 kilometres north of Arras and just 5 kilometres west of Lievin. On the 10th of August they were in support trenches stretching southwards from the village of Bully-Grenay, to an area known as Cap de Pont, and to a trench known as Mechanics. On the 14th they took up positions in trenches just west of Angres, a village (now a suburb) on the outskirts of Lievin, which was still in German hands.

The battalion War Diary is very different from most Army diaries, in that it lists the death of individual Other Ranks. It describes how the "Enemy were active with Small Minenwerfer and Aerial Torpedoes" and then lists "No. Z.L 3438 Able Seaman Moon killed and 2 O.R. wounded." .

In a letter received by the family, Chaplain, Rev. W. E. F. Rees stated:  

"I am deeply grieved the death of your son John, who was killed on the 14th August by a German shell in the front trenches. I took the funeral service, in which your son was accorded full military honours, and his comrades and officers attended. He was buried in a cemetery close behind our trenches, and his name has been placed above the grave. After the war we shall able to tell you the exact spot of the grave. May God comfort you in your great loss."’

John’s service record explains the location of his interment in more detail: "Buried by Rev. Rees, 15.8.16. at Mechanics.’" His body would have been taken back to the support lines for burial, yet the War Diary also refers to interment at the Tranchee de Mecknes cemetery (the most likely explanation for this is that the two locations are the same, and that ‘Mechanics’ is an anglicisation of ‘Mecknes’ - and indeed, a comparison of a contemporary trench map and a current satellite view shows that the Tranchee de Mecknes is almost certainly on the line of the Mechanics trench). 

The Chaplain’s letter was not the only one the family received.

Further details of John's death were also provided in the Kent and Sussex Courier of the 25th of August, where they quoted John’s company commander, Lieut. J. Gilliland, who spoke of: 

 "... John’s cheerful and manly disposition... It will console you, too, to know that his death was instantaneous, and that he had no suffering.... he will remembered by his friends in 'C' Company, who are very numerous."

This message was reinforced by John’s Chief Petty Officer, who also said how much the men of ‘C’ Company respected him. 

Just a few days after Mrs. Moon learned of John's passing, she received the news of his brother Charles’ death. Both sons died on the same day. 

Though only 18, John, like two of his older brothers, had a letter published in "The Friendly Companion"  (the magazine of the Strict and Particular Baptists).

Dated August the 1st (the same day as Charles’ last letter) it is perhaps more conversational than those of his older brothers, revealing a deep level of concern about his parents and Charles.

Within the letter he asked about his father’s health, and talked about the support his parents have had ‘in this heavy trial’ (following the deaths of their two elder sons). This description comes immediately before "a Comforter to whom we can go with all our sorrows" the support is clearly intended to be from the Lord, rather than earthly.

He also refers to Charles having had "a rough time of it" perhaps Charles had been more forthcoming in his letters to John, than he had in those to his mother. 

However, the heart of his letter is taken up with his reaction to a copy of a sermon by Joseph Jarvis, sent out by his mother. The thought of death was clearly in his mind, as he quoted the sermon, itself using Isaiah 43:2-3, in John’s version: "When thou passest, through the rivers, the waters shall not overflow thee.."

The Personal Inscription that his parents chose may be seen as particularly appropriate to John. "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord" is from the 14th chapter of Revelations which previews the destruction of the earth in the Last Days, and in particular the saving of the pure in heart, who had "no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God" (v. 4-5).

His family clung to their faith to help them through the loss of their four sons, as did many families. Unlike most though, they refused any religious emblems on the headstones of their sons being Strict and Particular Baptists.

The photograph of John was reproduced by the author with kind permission from the family.