Francis Pepys Dure (Frank) Moore, one of the lawnmower industry’s leading innovators has died at the age of 90.
A war veteran, Frank served with the 1st Airborne Division and took part in the Battle of Arnhem in 1944.
On demobilisation he started work with Rotary Hoes' distributor in Surrey. After some farming experience he became a spreading contractor, which brought him to the attention of Rotary Hoes Ltd for whom he worked until 1962, being responsible for Export Sales initially, visiting 71 countries, and subsequently Manager of the Technical Sales Department.
Following five years as Sales Manager at Webbs of Exning, Frank returned to Rotary Hoes Ltd becoming Sales Director until 'official' retirement in the late eighties.
During this time, Frank became President of the AEA, and on his retirement was presented with a gift of a large set of taps and dies by the AEA which he used to build a workshop at home in Dorset.
He then set about designing and building the Moore Mower, a 36” cylinder mower which he first made as a prototype. It was put into limited production and manufactured by Griffiths Elder at Bury St Edmunds, with accessories such as mulching head made by Autoguide and first shown at the IOG SALTEX show in 1999.
In 2004, Frank presented one of his machines to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission for use in the Airborne Cemetery at Arnhem where most of the 44 members of his old regiment who were killed in the 9 day battle lie buried among some 1700 other who took part in the operation.
The Moore Mower was later taken and manufactured by Autoguide Equipment but is no longer in production.
Frank was presented with an IAgrE Award for his contribution to the Land-Based sector in 2009.
