Memorial

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Pfc William H. Moseley enlisted in Richmond, Virginia on 17 July 1944. He was a chauffeur before he enlisted.

When his father died Bill was adopted and lived with that family until he was 18, at that time he was on his own but did not change his name back to Ball. Bill played the piano and the harmonica, by ear he had never had lessons but it came naturally to him. He was one of the few people in Townsville that owned a car and would use it to drive old and young to Church and Church activities. He will always be remembered as someone who never met a stranger and would offer help to everyone.

William Henry Ball (Moseley) was born on April 18, 1918 in Vicksboro, Vance County, North Carolina. He was drafted by the Army on July 14, 1944 and reported for duty in Richmond, Virginia. He always saw the good in everyone. He owned a grocery store before he was drafted. By that time America had everything on the ration system and no one could purchase anything without government issued coupons. William (Bill) could not bear to see families without food so he gave them food without coupons and would have lost the store if he had not left for the war. The government forced every store to audit their coupons and sales and Bill could not have done that so his wife and daughter did lose the store after his death.

On April 13, 1945 near Ahlsdorf, Germany when a sniper shot him. Resulting in the death of Private First Class William H. Moseley. The family received a telegram that their son, father and husband was Missing in Action. A few months later his brother Hampton brought back his wallet and watch, he was also serving with his brother but did not see his body just received the items from a medic saying he had been killed. Later Bill’s wife received a telegram from one of the service men that Bill was serving with and found out he was actually Killed in Action by a German sniper who was sitting in a tree near the river – at the time of his death he was arresting a German Soldier rather than shoot him.