Peter John Moore

Peter John Moore was born on 1 October 1919. He was the third child and second son of Arthur Fitzroy Moore and Catherine Susan, née Morrissey, who had married in Sacred Heart Church, Kew, on 17 October 1912. Arthur’s father, James, was a successful timber merchant and in 1880 he established James Moore and Sons Pty Ltd. Peter was educated at Burke Hall, the preparatory school for Xavier College, a Jesuit Catholic school. He was dux in 1931 and the next year commenced at Xavier College. He graduated with a scholarship to Newman College but decided to go to Oxford University.

He joined the Oxford University Air Squadron in April 1939. One of his course mates on the squadron’s 1939 summer camp was Richard Hillary. He joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (RAFVR) on 13 June 1939 and was called up just before war was declared. After training, he was posted to 253 Squadron in October 1940 as a sergeant pilot. He flew a number of sorties during an intense period of flying before he bowed out of the Battle of Britain, wounded, on 30 October.

Peter enjoyed a good career with 253 Squadron and was commissioned on 6 January 1942. On 29 March 1942, he was posted to 616 (South Yorkshire) Squadron. He killed in action on 3 June 1942 during an offensive sweep over Le Touquet and Boulogne in northern France.