News was received in Waimate yesterday to the. effect that Private Ralph Moir has been posted as missing since December 3. Private Moir left New Zealand with the 25th Reinforcements, He is the younger brother of Mr James Moir of Waimate. -Waimate Daily Advertiser, 21/2/1918.
ROLL OF HONOUR.
MISSING.
Private Ralph Moir, late of Hillend, is reported in the latest casualty list to be missing as from December 3. Private advice was received by his father, Mr John Moir (North Balclutha), to this effect on Wednesday. By the last mail from France letters were received from Private Moir dated December 1, two-days before he was posted as missing. He was born at Hillend, and after receiving his education at the local school worked on his father's farm until his enlistment with the 26th reinforcements. He was the third son of Mr John Moir, and a typical young New Zealander, well built, strong and courageous. -Clutha Leader, 22/2/1918.
IN MEMORIAM SERVICE (excerpt)
We are thinking of our losses during the past few weeks — of Mrs Bowers, of Mr Porter, of Mrs Sutherland, and now of Mr Jack. Others, indeed, we have to mention; for though Mr Ralph Moir didn't belong to us, he died a brave death for King and country, and his death brought sorrow into the home of his parents, members of this church. And all this is truer still of Charlie Willocks, the report of whose 'missing' after a raid upon a Turkish position must also, I'm afraid, be taken as 'Killed in action.' -Clutha Leader, 25/6/1918.
Ralph Moir survived the massacre of the failed attack on Bellevue Spur on October 12, 1917 - a disaster which took roughly 300 of the Otago Regiment within a couple of hours. The next attack for the Regiment went almost as badly, beginning with being shelled from their own side: "The fixed starting line of the artillery barrage for the operation was 150 yards in advance of that on which the foremost infantry were assembled. By some fatal miscalculation or influence a considerable part of the entire weight of the barrage fell across the area occupied by the first waves of the assaulting troops. The immediate outcome was that the two leading Companies, 4th on the left and 10th on the right, became seriously involved in the destructive fire of our own artillery. The losses incurred were at once severe. To move forward was accepted as the quickest method of escaping our own fire, because more appeared to be falling to the rear than to the front. Captain Hines, commanding 4th Company, accordingly gave the order to advance, and 10th Company on the right almost immediately followed suit. But the irregularity of the barrage was such that some distance had to be covered before it was cleared, and by that time casualties, now increased by enemy machine gun fire, were so heavy as to seriously prejudice the success of the attack. -Official History of the Otago Infantry Regiment.
Ralph's Company, the 4th (described as "remnants" by the Official History) moved back to its start line on the night of December 4th. Ralph's body was left behind in the retirement. He has no known grave.
On June 4th, 1918, a Court of Enquiry found, although lacking evidence of his fate, that he was "killed in action" on December 3rd.
Balclutha Cemetery.
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