Alexandre Donati

Killed in Action on the 26/10/1918 during the capture of Englefontaine (part of the final advance in Picardy)

On the 29/05/1916 the 5th and 6th Battalion of the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) amalgamated to become the 5/6th Battalion. They were part of the 19th Brigade, 33rd Division. Alexandre was only 2 weeks in France when he was killed just 16 days before the Armistice. On the 26th of October the Division captured Englefontaine and was that night relieved by the 38th (Welsh) Division. This was the day after the Battle of the Selle, 17th - 25th October 1918 (part of the final advance in Picardy) during the full retreat of the Germans just 2 weeks before the Armistice. The Final Advance in Picardy, 17th October - 11th November 1918. The hardest-fought of the final offensive actions. First, Third and Fourth Armies exploited their success in breaking the Hindenburg Line by pushing on across the Rivers Selle and Sambre, recapturing Valenciennes and finally in liberating Mons where it had all begun for the British Expeditionary Force more than four years before. SEE PHOTOS x 41 FOR THE BATTALION WAR DIARY OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 1918. Alexandre is also remembered in the St. Augustine's Parish (book) Roll of Honour. Alexandre was reburied in Romeries Communal Cemetery Extension beside his comrade and friend Private George Lynn who fought and fell alongside him (see Directory for George's page. Also note Service Numbers. George's is 52915 and Alexandre's is 53062 so they probably enlisted on the same day). A huge thank you to George's great nephew Graham and great niece Alison Lynn for Alexandre's grave photo. See photos for Alexandre'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, his Reburial Form, Alexandre's Pension Records x 2, Romeries Communal Cemetery Extension, Alexandre and his friend George Lynn buried next to each other, the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) Cap Badge and a map showing the arrangement of the Armies for the Battle of the Selle. Finally, see photos for Newspaper clippings x 3 (Coatbridge Express x 2 and Coatbridge Leader x 1), PHOTOS x 13 FOR THE 33rd DIVISION BOOK 10th - 26th OCTOBER 1918 and photos x 14 for the 33rd Division Order of Battle (the Division he was with when he died).