John Esmond Moore was born in Crouch End, London on 27 March 1909, the son of Engineer Lieutenant Albert John Campbell Moore, RN, and Sylvia Alice Moore (née Callaway). John Moore joined the Royal Navy as a Cadet at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth on 15 September 1922. He was appointed to the Battleship HMS RAMILLIES in May 1926, the Battle Cruiser HMS RENOWN on 11 September 1926 and was promoted to Midshipman on 1 January 1927. He was appointed to the Cruiser HMS DAUNTLESS on 15 May 1928 and to the Battle Cruiser HMS TIGER on 4 September 1928. John Moore was promoted to Acting Sub Lieutenant on 1 May 1929, and he joined the Royal Naval College, Greenwich on 2 May 1929 for his Lieutenant’s Courses. He was confirmed in the Rank of Sub Lieutenant on 19 January 1930.

He was appointed to the Submarine Depot Ship HMS LUCIA for Submarines on 12 December 1930 and for HMS L56 as Third Hand on 1 April 1931. On 22 March 1933 John Moore was appointed to HMS H32 as First Lieutenant. He was next appointed to the Submarine Depot Ship HMS MEDWAY (Fourth Submarine Flotilla) at Hong Kong for HMS PHOENIX as First Lieutenant in April 1935.

He returned home with an appointment to HMS DOLPHIN on 30 August 1937 for his Commanding Officers Qualifying Course. His first Command appointment was to the Submarine Depot Ship HMS TITANIA for Submarine H34 in Command on 11 December 1937. After six months he transferred to Submarine H50 in Command but returned to Submarine H34 in Command on 1 September 1938.

He was appointed to the Battleship HMS ROYAL OAK on 5 January 1939. John Esmond Moore died on 14 October 1939 when HMS ROYAL OAK was sunk in Scapa Flow following a torpedo attack by the U-Boat U-47.

Moore left a widow, Elizabeth, who subsequently married submarine Commanding Officer Lieutenant Johnnie Wraith (q.v) who was later lost in HMS TROOPER.  John Moore and Johnnie Wraith were friends and had previously served in HMS PHOENIX together.

Moore is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval War Memorial on Panel No 33 Column No 1.