Name
Alexander Mason
2 December 1872
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
31/05/1916
43
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
PLY/16963
Royal Marine Light Infantry
H.M.S. "Queen Mary."
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
PLYMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL
18
United Kingdom
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
St Mary's Church Memorial, Apsley End, John Dickinson & Co Memorial, Apsley Mills, Apsley, Hemel Hempstead Town Memorial, Not on the Apsley memorials
Pre War
Alexander Mason (known as Alec) was born on 2 December 1872 in Hemel Hempstead, the son of Alexander and Emily Mason and one of eleven children. On the 1881 Census they were living at Bourne End Lane, Northchurch, Berkhamsted.
The family moved to Boxmoor, nr Hemel Hempstead and when he left school he started work for John Dickinson & Co Ltd at Apsley Mills, but left Dickinsons and enlisted with the Royal Marines on 2 August 1890 at the age of 17, signing on for a twelve year term. He went to Walmer, Kent for training and on the 1891 Census he was listed as living in the North Barracks and School House, at the Royal Marine Depot at Walmer.
On the 1901 Census he was listed as a Private in the Royal Marines, from Boxmoor, Hemel Hempstead, Herts, serving with the Royal Navy on the Battleship HMS Ocean in Hong Kong.
Towards the end of his period of service he met and married Rebecca Harrington from Boxmoor. Their wedding took place on 11 October 1902 at St John the Evangelist Church in Boxmoor. He received a gratuity of £50 on discharge, equivalent to more than £4000 today.
Alec returned to employment at John Dickinson & Co and they had three daughters, Norah (1903), Alexandra 1904) and Iris (1912) and lived at 7 Manor Avenue, Hemel Hempstead.
In 1907 Alec re-enrolled in the Royal Marines and served until July 1911 when he was transferred to the Royal Fleet Reserve.
Wartime Service
Alec enlisted in September 1914, having been recalled as a reservist, and enlisted with the Royal Marine Light Infantry, being posted to the HMS Queen Mary which had only been completed a year before. He joined his brother Thomas who had been posted the previous month.
(N.B. The brothers had consecutive service numbers - PLY/16962 & PLY/16963).
He was killed on 31 May 1916, aged 43, during the Battle of Jutland. Queen Mary was initially hit by the German battlecruiser SMS Seydlitz and in the afternoon, the ship's magazines exploded after being hit twice by the German battlecruiser SMS Derfflinger. Queen Mary sunk in six minutes and 1266 crew were lost. There were only 18 eighteen survivors.
Alec has no known grave and his name is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial, Devon.
Additional Information
His widow received a pension of £1 3s a week for herself and her three daughters. She later lived at 26 Manorville Road, Hemel Hempstead. His brother Thomas was also killed in the Battle of Jutland whilst serving on the Queen Mary and is named on the Plymouth Naval Memorial. Alexander had five brothers who served in the war. His mother received a letter from the King earlier in the war, congratulating her on the fact that six of her sons were serving King and Country. (N.B. his father was listed as a patient in the Hertfordshire Convalescent Home in St Leonards, Hastings, Sussex, on the 1901 Census.)
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild, www.hemelheroes.com.,www.dacorumheritage.org.uk, www.hemelatwar.org
