Name
Francis James Alexander
Conflict
Second World War
Date of Death / Age
27
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Lance Serjeant
5954360
Hertfordshire Regiment
2nd Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
BAYEUX WAR CEMETERY
XV. B. 18.
France
Headstone Inscription
TREASURED MEMORIES OF OUR DEAR SON, LOVED & REMEMBERED ALWAYS. MUM, DAD & JOYCE
UK & Other Memorials
Hitchin Town Memorial, St. Saviour's Church Memorial, Hitchin, Hitchin Roll of Honour 1939 – 1945 (Book) St Mary’s Church, Hitchin
Biography
He had attended Wilshere Dacre School and was, for eight years, in the Shop Department of the Herts & Beds Bacon Factory.
He was given Service Number 5954360 and posted to the 2nd Battalion of the Regiment. The Battalion was in training at Troon on the beaches practising wet landings. They were camped at Monkton in Ayrshire on the west coast of Scotland. He died in France of wounds received on D-Day. The circumstances were that he was in the 9th Beach Group which commenced landing in the La Riviere area of Normandy at 8.00am on the 6th June 1944. The 9th Beach Group was part of 104 Beach Sub-area H.Q. and Signal Section and landed on Gold Beach in the ‘King’ Assault Area.
It was part of the 50th Division which moved about six miles inland on that day but in the assault phase it was the 2nd Herts job to deal with Groups of the enemy left behind but still fighting. Several days were spent in this work which almost certainly led to the death of Francis. When he was first reported as wounded, his family thought that he was back in England and later they were informed that he had sustained the wounds on D-Day but had died on the 24th June.
He is buried in Bayeux War Cemetery, France in Plot 15, Row B, Grave 18. His Commonwealth War Graves Commission stone records his death as the 7th June I 944 as does the Army Roll of Honour 1939-45. It also has the additional private inscription "Treasured memories of our dear son. Loved and remembered always. Mum Dad and Joyce".
He was the son of John and Dorothy Alexander of 12, High Dane, Walsworth, Hitchin.
Acknowledgments
David C Baines – ‘Hitchin’s Century of Sacrifice’, Letter from Ian Martin to John Gorton dated 23rd June 2003, Paul Johnson - local historian, ORBAT- ‘Operation Overlord Gold & Juno Beaches - 6 June 1944’ by C. Chant, ‘Cap Badge’ by R. H. Medley, Story of the Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire Regiment, Herts & Beds Express dated 8th July 1944, Herts Pictorial dated 4th July 1944
