An interesting and unusual family group the Alexander family, comprising the medals to Private W. Alexander, 4th Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps who would be present during the Manipur Expedition which lasted from 28th March to 7th May 1891, during the Boer War in South Africa where he would be present in the operations in Cape Colony and Natal as well in the action at Laing’s Nek which took place between 2nd and 9th June 1900. Having been discharged on 3rd August 1901, he would return to service during the Great War being present on the Western Front from 22nd July 1915 before being discharged medically unfit for further service on 11th April 1916. Private W.J. Alexander, Royal West Kent Regiment and later Suffolk Regiment would see service in Mesopotamia, arriving in Basra in February 1915, he would later be wounded in March 1916, avoiding the fate of his comrades in being captured at the Siege of Kut, before later transferring to the Suffolk Regiment and being discharged due to wounds on 17th October 1919.
Group of 6: India General Service Medal 1854-1895, 1 Clasp: N.E. Frontier 1891; (1043 Pte. W. Alexander, 4th Bn, K.R.R.C.) Queen’s South Africa Medal 1899-1902, 3 clasps: Cape Colony, Natal, Laing’s Nek; officially engraved naming (1043 PTE. W. ALEXANDER. 4./K.R.R.C.) King’s South Africa Medal 1899-1902, 2 Clasps: South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902; (1043 PTE. W. ALEXANDER. 4TH BN. K.R.R.C.) 1914-1915 Star; (SS-13395 PTE. W. ALEXANDER. A.S.C.) British War Medal and Victory Medal; (SS-13395 PTE. W. ALEXANDER. A.S.C.) loose-mounted for wear
Condition: loose-mounted for wear, Good Very Fine
Along with:
Original parchment Certificate of Character dated 3rd August 1901.
Original parchment Certificate of Discharge dated 3rd August 1901.
Discharge Certificate of a Militiaman dated 8th September 1907
Original parchment Certificate of Character dated 11th April 1916
Original parchment Certificate of Discharge dated Aldershot 11th April 1916
Certificate from Brompton Cemetery dated 1st January 1942, confirming Alexander had been interred there.
William Alexander enlisted in London and subsequently saw service as a Private (No. 1043) with the 4th Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps and was present with his unit, the only British battalion to be present in strength, during the operations on the North East Frontier during the Manipur Expedition which lasted from 28th March to 7th May 1891, when a part of the Tamu Column.
He would then go on to see service in South Africa during the Boer War where he would be present on operations in Cape Colony and Natal as well as in the action at Laing’s Nek which took place from the 2nd to the 9th June 1900. He would be discharged on 3rd August 1901, but would later rejoin after the outbreak of the Great War during which he would serve with the Army Service Corps on the Western Front from 22nd July 1915, he would be admitted to hospital on 22nd November 1915 and would later be discharged medically unfit for further service on 11th April 1916.
Group of 3: 1914-1915 Star; (9947 PTE. W.J. ALEXANDER. R.W. KENT. R.) British War Medal and Victory Medal; (38617 PTE. W.J. ALEXANDER. SUFF. R.) Silver War Badge, the reverse numbered ‘ B347406’. The first three mounted loose for wear, Good Very Fine
Condition: the first three mounted loose for wear, Good Very Fine
William John Alexander attested to the Royal West Kent Regiment as a Private (No. 9447) on 27th August 1912 and would later see Great War service in the Hedjaz from 6th February 1915, the 2nd Battalion, had been shipped from Multan to Mesopotamia before arriving in Basra, where it would be attached to the 12th Indian Brigade. Two companies of the Regiment were attached to the 30th Indian Brigade, part of the 6th (Poona) Division and were captured in the Siege of Kut in April 1916, but William had been wounded on 9th March 1916 and was not present at Kut when the siege ended, he later would transfer to the Suffolk Regiment and would be discharged due to wounds on 17th October 1919.
