Name
Alexander George Lees
1894
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
23/07/1916
22
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
10466
Yorkshire Regiment
2nd Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star (with Clasp & Roses), British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
Pier and Face 3 A and 3 D.
France
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
Berkhamsted Town Memorial, St Peter's Church Memorial, Berkhamsted
Pre War
Alexander George Lees was born in 1894, the eldest son of Alexander and Florence Lees and one of three children. He was baptised at Great Berkhamsted on 11 July 1894.
On the 1901 Census the family were living at 11 Mill Street, Berkhamsted and his father was working as a house painter. They remained in Berkhamsted in 1911 but had moved to 13b Holiday Street. Alexander was then working as a hair dresser.
His mother later lived at 15 Holiday Street.
Wartime Service
Alexander enlisted in London served with the 2nd Yorkshire Regiment. His reg. no. of 10466 suggests he enlisted in early 1914 before the outbreak of war. He served in France from 12 November 1914.
He was killed in action during the attack on Guillemont, part of the Battle of Somme, and death was presumed on or since 23 July 1916.
He has no known grave and his name is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, France.
Additional Information
His mother received a war gratuity of £11 and pay owing of £3 15s 7d. She also received a pension of 5 shillings a week.
His younger brother Frederick had enlisted on 29 April 1913 for 4 years and served with the 1st Battalion, Hertfordshire Regiment from 5 November 1914 (reg. no. 2179). He was wounded in action at Guinchy on 29 March 1915 with gunshot wounds to the thigh and left arm at the elbow leaving him with limited movement to the right knee and muscular wastage to his left arm. He had 8 operations for removal of shrapnel in the thigh. He was discharged as permanently unfit on 7 September 1916. He married in 1928, had three children and died in 1974.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild
