The 90th Field Company were part of the 9th (Scottish) Division when Alexander Died of Wounds. Alexander arrived in France on the 27/02/1915. Alexander was wounded from a bomb dropped by an enemy aeroplane when returning from the line. He died 10 minutes after reaching the Dressing Station (see Newspaper clippings 5 and 6 for Alexander's Section Officer's letter to his father). The Division fought in the 1st Battle of Passchendaele, 12th October 1917. This was a phase the Battles of Ypres (Third Ypres), 31st July - 10th November 1917 : The British finally got what they had wanted since 1914, the opportunity to attack at Ypres and breakout of the confines of the salient of trenches around it. Often known as the Third Battle of Ypres or Passchendaele, the offensive began with encouraging gains but terrible summer weather soon bogged it down. By August the offensive was clearly failing in its objectives and had descended into attritional fighting. New techniques by both sides led to agonisingly slow forward movement for the British, at enormous cost in casualties to both sides. Bad weather in October led to the battlefield becoming an impossible quagmire. SEE PHOTOS x 5 FOR THE 90th FIELD COMPANY WAR DIARY JULY - OCTOBER 1917. I personally laid a Poppy Cross at Alexander's grave just after midnight on the 93rd Anniversary of his death in 2010 (see photos x 2). Alexander is also remembered in the Middle United Free Church, in the St. Augustine's Parish (book), Coatbridge Technical College and Stewarts and Lloyds Rolls of Honour (see photos). See photos for Alexander's Medal Index Card, his Army Register of Soldiers Effects, his Service Medal and Award Rolls, his CWGC Grave Registration x 2, his Headstone Report, Menin Road South Military Cemetery, the Royal Engineers Cap Badge and Alexander's Pension Records x 2. Finally, see photos for the Stewarts and Lloyds Roll of Honour plaque, Alexander's name on the Clyde Tube Works section of the Stewarts and Lloyds Roll of Honour plaque and Newspaper clippings x 6 (Coatbridge Express x 3, Coatbridge Leader x 2 and Airdrie and Coatbridge Advertiser x 1), PHOTOS x 11 FOR THE 9th (SCOTTISH) DIVISION BOOK 24th SEPTEMBER - 24th OCTOBER 1917 and the 9th (Scottish) Division Order of Battle x 12 (the Division he was with when he died). The History of the 9th (Scottish) Division book is available to read online
here
