Memorable Manitobans: Arthur Aldridge Moss (1881-1962)

Soldier, tailor.

Born at Glasgow, Scotland on 8 August 1881, the eldest child of music professor and composer Alfred Moss (R.A.M.) and Janet Paterson Gifford, he matriculated at Glasgow University before enlisting in the British Army in 1900 as a private.  He served as an infantryman in the Gordon Highlanders for twelve years during which time he fought in the Boer War. He was discharged with the rank of corporal. At the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, he re-enlisted and was commissioned Captain the same year. He was promoted to Major in 1915 and commanded a battalion of the 9th Highland Light Infantry in France where he was wounded. He was discharged in 1920.

After the war, he worked as a tailor and clothier in Glasgow before moving with his family to Brandon in 1923. He was hired by Tip Top Tailors, becoming its Manager in 1931. He enjoyed singing and was active in amateur dramatics in Brandon.

In 1941, at the age of 59, he enlisted in the army and was appointed to No. 10 Company of the Veterans Guard of Canada with the rank of Lieutenant. He was promoted to Captain in 1942. He served as an adjutant and administrative officer at a number of Prisoner of War (POW) camps in Ontario, Quebec, and Alberta. For much of the period from 1943 to 1945, he was stationed at a POW camp in Lethbridge, Alberta and after the war, he accompanied POWs to Britain for repatriation. He was discharged in 1946. Highly regarded by his superiors, a description from his military file notes:

 “This officer is of the type on which the Army has been based. A keen soldier with long service in the regular army both in the ranks and as an officer. Enthusiastic and pleasant in manner, he gives the impression of being absolutely dependable and reliable.”

He was awarded the MBE in 1945 for which the citation reads:

“This officer has a total of 21 years’ service in the Army, part of which was in South Africa during the war there; he also served throughout the war 1914-1919 and has almost four years’ service in the present war. His work has been outstanding and of a meritorious nature as Assistant Administrative Officer of Internment Count No. 133. He has shown a high degree of initiative in the many and varied problems that arise in the administration of a Prisoner of War Camp of some 13,000 prisoners of war, and at all times has assumed special work far beyond ordinary duty. His experience and long service have been a source of strength to those officers and other ranks associated with him.”

In 1913, he married Ella Margaret Rodick (1885-1972) at Glasgow and they had three children: Elma Marjorie Moss (b 1914, wife of Robert James Snazel), Arthur Alfred Paterson Moss (1915-2008, husband of June Bernice Bartlett), and Mae Evelyn Moss (b 1926, wife of T. Harold Corbett).

He died at Souris on 24 March 1962 and was buried in the Souris Glenwood Cemetery.

Sources:

Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950, Ancestry.

Musical Scotland by D. Baptie, 1894.

British Army Service Records 1760-1915, FindMyPast.

All Canada, Ocean Arrivals (Form 30A), 1919-1924, Ancestry.

Military file, Library and Archives Canada.

Courage & Service: Second World War Awards to Canadians, CD-ROM compiled by John Blatherwick and Hugh Halliday and produced by Service Publications, Ottawa.

Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 30 March 1962.

Obituaries and burial transcriptions, Manitoba Genealogical Society.

This page was prepared by Brenda V. Curtis.

Page revised: 8 March 2017

Memorable Manitobans This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. We acknowledge that the collection contains both reputable and disreputable people. All are worth remembering as a lesson to future generations. Search the collection by word or phrase, name, place, occupation or other text: Custom Search Browse surnames beginning with: A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | Z Browse deaths occurring in: 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 Send corrections and additions to this page to the Memorable Manitobans Administrator at biographies@mhs.mb.ca Criteria for Memorable Manitobans | Suggest a Memorable Manitoban | Firsts | Acknowledgements Help us keep history alive!