Obituary of Capt. John de Moraville M.C.
John de Moraville 1909-1970
Peggy’s younger brother, John, was born in London in 1909 and educated at Oundle and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, passing into the 4th Queen’s Own Hussars in 1928. The following year he left with his regiment for India. Being an accomplished horse rider, he won 9 races in 1929 and the £200 Handicap Hurdle at Lucknow the following year.
He returned from India in 1930 and started training his own horses at Knavesmire race course, York. He had considerable success as an amateur rider and went on to become a trainer. However he had been a trainer for only six months when war broke out.
Serving in the Middle East he was reported “wounded and missing” in May 1941. Reports for 1942 indicate that he was in the prisoner-of-war camp OflagVB at Bieberach. It is likely that he was awarded the Military Cross at this time, but the circumstances are not known.
To break the tedium of prison life he organised a poker school and to settle his losses sold three-quarters of his hurdler, King Penguin, which had been put out to grass.After the war he resumed training and an early winner for him and his three fellow owners was King Penguin, 5-11, ridden by another ex-prisoner “Dicky” Black. John and Dicky struck up a successful trainer-rider partnership. One of the most notable horses trained by John de Moraville was the French-bred Vulgan, which won the Queen Alexandra Stakes at Royal ascot; he also trained the brilliant French-bred chaser Rondo 11.
In 1950 he married Mrs. Joan Bailey, the daughter the late Brig. H. M, Grenfell and the late Lady Muriel Grenfell. They had a son, also John. In 1962 he became the owner and manager of Frethorne Stud, Childrey, Wantage, Berks. He died in Brompton Hospital, London, in 1970.
Thorp Family History 