Captain Robert ALEXANDER Croix de Guerre
A Company, 1st Battalion Black Watch and No. 1 Section, 1st Machine Gun Company, Machine Gun Corps

Date of birth: 9th May 1888
Date of death: 4th November 1963

Died aged 75
Unknown
Robert Alexander was born Ashburton Cottage, Putney Heath in London on the 9th of May 1888 the only son of Robert Ernest Alexander, a banker, and Elizabeth Alexander of Ashburton Cottage, Putney Heath, later of “Kenward”, Yalding in Kent. He was christened at Holy Trinity Church, Wandsworth on the 1st of July 1889.

He was educated at Hazelwood School until July 1902 where he was a member of the Cricket XI in 1902. The school magazine wrote the following on his cricket season that year: - "A moderate bowler and very likely to turn into a bat."

On leaving the school the magazine wrote of him: - "....goes to Eton. he is a useful cricketer and football player, and first rate over hurdles."

He went on to Eton College where he was in Mr. R.S. Kindersley's House from September 1902 to July 1905. Soon after daybreak on the morning of the 1st of June 1903 a fire broke out in his dormitory but, while Robert Alexander escaped by climbing down a drain pipe, two of his fellow students, Lionel Lawson and James Kenneth Horne, were overcome by smoke and died as a result of the fire.

He went on to Magdalen College Oxford from October 1907 to June 1910. On leaving university he went to work for Alexander’s Discount Company of 24 Lombard Street, London EC3.

He was promoted to Lieutenant in the Black Watch on the 2nd of October 1915 and saw action at the Hohenzollern Redoubt at Loos in October 1915. He also served with the 11th Battalion. He transferred to the Machine Gun Corps on the 23rd of January 1916 and joined the 1st Machine Gun Company the same day where he was posted to No. 1 Section. He returned to England on leave from the 4th to the 12th of February 1916. He was reported as having been wounded in the Times of the 7th of July 1916.

He was married to Mary Josephine (nee Henry) in 1913 and they lived at "Five Acres", Betchett Green, near Sevenoaks in Kent.

He was a member of the Isthmian Club and worked as a discount broker. Following the outbreak of the Second World War he was appointed as a Billeting Officer for the Sevenoaks area.

Went on to Eton College

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