Ronald Joseph Moore

Trooper Ronald Joseph Moore (1915–1992) was the leader of 'Moore's March', a forced march through the Libyan Desert by survivors of a Long Range Desert Group patrol following the Battle of Kufra at Gebel Sherif on 31 January 1941 during which Moore's patrol was ambushed by the Italian Auto-Saharan Company, and posted missing, believed killed. Moore led three other soldiers on a ten-day, 336 km (209 mi) trek: Guardsmen J. Easton and A. Winchester and RAOC fitter A. Tighe. Easton was injured and later died, the first Scots Guardsman to die in North Africa. An Italian prisoner with them escaped. They found Sarra abandoned and headed for Kufra. Tighe, who had been left behind, was picked up by a Free French patrol, and when the patrol found Moore he was headed for Tekro 130 km away, barefooted, and was slightly annoyed at being stopped. They had survived on some jam and water, having lost their rations, headgear and footwear when the trucks were destroyed in the initial attack.

Moore, who was known as “Skin” Moore, Trooper No 1248 in the 2 NZ Divisional Cavalry, was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for his actions, the first member of the New Zealand Division to receive the award in World War II. He was a farmhand, born on 19 September 1915 at Te Aroha, and died on 15 August 1992.

Another member of the NZEF and the LRDG, Trooper (later Second Lieutenant) Denis Morton Bassett, received the DCM for leading a party of ten on a nine-day march to Gialo in December 1941 after their truck was shot up and destroyed.

References

• Morgan, M. Sting of the Scorpion 2000 Sutton Publishing Ltd, Gloucestershire, England, UK ISBN 0-7509-2481-0
• O’Carroll, Brendan The Kiwi Scorpions: The Story of the New Zealanders in the Long Range Desert Group 2000, Token Publications, Devon England pp100–103 ISBN 1-870192-41-9
• Polaschek, Alan The Complete New Zealand Distinguished Conduct Medal 1978, 1983 Medals Research, Christchurch NZ pp241,307