Harry was born on 19 April 1916 in Mile End, London as Hyman Moskovitch. His parents Lazarus and Dinah nee Karnashter were born in Poland and he had three sisters Sarah, Helen and Celia. Lazarus worked as a tailor and died in 1938. The 1939 Register shows that Harry had changed his surname to Moss and he worked as a builders labourer.

Whilst serving in the Pioneer Corps, he was admitted to Ripon Hall Hospital, Wootton in Oxfordshire. He died from: ‘Acute dilation of the heart due to streptococcus pneumonia.’