WW1 medal pair - British War Medal & Victory Medal - Awarded to Private S/406066 HARRY CLAUDE ALEXANDER of the Army Service Corps – INTERESTING service history with 3 x infantry regiments and the A.S.C. in Egypt

Stock Reference – MM-MED-0054

WW1 medal pair - British War Medal & Victory Medal - Awarded to Private S/406066 HARRY CLAUDE ALEXANDER of the Army Service Corps – INTERESTING service history with 3 x infantry regiments and the A.S.C. in Egypt

The medals are inscribed ‘S-406066 PTE. H.C.ALEXANDER. A.S.C.’

You are looking at a British War Medal and Victory Medal awarded to HARRY CLAUDE ALEXANDER of the Royal Army Service Corps.

HARRY CLAUDE ALEXANDER, the son of HARRY and SARAH KATE ALEXANDER, was born on the 10^th of August 1898 at West Hartlepool, and was living at 1 Layland Villas, Holderness Road, Sutton Ings in Hull, when he enlisted into the East Yorkshire Regiment (service number 23586) at Beverley on the 12^th of December 1915.

On the 14^th of May 1916, he was transferred to the 2/6^th Battalion the Notts & Derby Regiment (service number 5542). One record suggests his transfer was to the 2/6^th Battalion of the East Yorkshire Regiment........The 2/6^th Battalion Notts & Derby Regiment are interesting, because in April 1916, they were sent to Ireland as part of the 178^th (2^nd Notts & Derby) Brigade, and were one of the units involved in putting down the ‘Easter Rising’, and they remained in Ireland to maintain public order.......It is likely HARRY was also sent to Ireland, but arrived after the main event that took place from the 24^th to the 29^th of April. 

On the 13^th of February 1917, around two weeks before the 2/6^th Battalion Notts & Derby Regiment deployed to France, HARRY ALEXANDER was transferred again, on this occasion to the 2/9^th Battalion the Royal Scots (service number 353356).

In November 1917, in response to a letter dated the 23^rd of September, the War Office refused to sanction the transfer of Private 353356 ALEXANDER of the 2/9^th Battalion Royal Scots to the ‘Class W Reserve’ – CLASS W ARMY RESERVE was a British Army category applied to soldiers whose trade or skills were best utilised in civilian life rather than in the army, such as coal, iron and steel workers, but it was also used for other categories of people, including those who were found to be underage and conscientious objectors.  

It is not clear what the reason was for HARRY ALEXANDER’S application to transfer to the Reserve, but there is an entry in his service record, probably dated early 1918 although the entry is hardly readable, that relates to the provision of an ‘Occupation Card’, which was a formal system under which a soldier was able to record civilian occupations and trade qualifications, and as a clerk / typist when he enlisted, there is a possibility that these skills and abilities, or something similar, were being divulged officially, although there is nothing telling us what prompted the card to be issued. 

That said, his service record also provides that on the 13^th of March 1918, he was serving in the Royal Scots’ No.2 Trench Mortar Battery (T.M.B.) at Edinburgh.

HARRY ALEXANDER’S army service records if very difficult to decipher, but it appears that he transferred to the Army Service Corps on the 10^th of April 1918, although one entry says ‘A.S.C. Prees Heath’ on the 4^th of April, and he embarked for Egypt on the 14^th of June, from Southampton initially, then overland via Cherbourg and Taranto in Italy, then by sea, arriving at Alexandria on the 15^th of July.

Again, his service record is difficult to decipher, but the following information relates to his service in Egypt:

15^th July 1918 – Disembarked ‘H.T.Maple’ at Alexandria and immediately posted to Base Horse Transport Depot.

17^th July 1918 – Admitted to the 24^th Stationary Hospital at Kantara

30^th July 1918 – To the ‘Comdt Branch’ at El Arish.

19^th December 1918 – From Base Horse Transport Department - Joined from ? at El Arish / Kantara.

28^th December 1918 – From Base Horse Transport Department - Posted to HQ F in E (Forces in Egypt) at Cairo.

24^th June 1919 – Promoted to Acting Corporal and assumed duties in this new rank.

2^nd August 1919 – Serving with HQ Cairo Brigade.

3^rd September 1919 – Embarked on the ‘H.T.Caledonia’ for a period of leave in Alexandria.

He served with the Army Service Corps until October 1919. 

To summarise, we know from the available records that HARRY ALEXANDER was a clerk and typist at the time he enlisted into the army in 1915, however, although he served in 3 x different infantry regiments, the East Yorkshire Regiment, the Notts and Derby Regiment and the Royal Scots, he didn’t see any service overseas, although he probably did travel to Ireland a couple of weeks after the ‘Easter Rising’, as a newly transferred member of the 2/6^th Battalion the Notts and Derby Regiment who had been involved in the suppression of the rebel forces there.....In September 1917, there was an application made for him to be transferred to the ‘Class W Reserve’, but this was denied by the War Office, however, an entry in his service record, probably dated early 1918, records the provision of an ‘Occupation Card’, and shortly after, although whether connected or not is unclear, he was transferred to the Army Service Corps and was sent to Egypt, where he was employed in the Base Horse Transport Department in the El Arish area and from there, was posted to the Commandant’s Branch, eventually ending up in the rank of Acting Corporal within the HQ Cairo Brigade.

HARRY CLAUDE ALEXANDER married ANNIE BESSIE HARRISON at Hull on the 9^th of April 1924, but they later separated, and in 1939, he was listed within the 1939 Register, without his wife, and with his profession described as ‘commercial traveller’, as his father had been in 1911. HARRY died in 1969 with his death registered at Liverpool.

SELLER NOTE = This pair of medals were from a collection, 7 x medals in total, all awarded to soldiers with the surname ALEXANDER, and they were purchased in the believe that at least some would have been related to each other. From the research conducted, this has been found NOT to be the case, however, those seeking medals in the ALEXANDER surname should consider the others just in case they are connected in some way.

SELLER NOTE = Only very limited research has been conducted into this medal and its recipient.....Supporting documentation obtained and / or created during this research will be provided.