Pte 30573 Alexander Alcock

• Age: 19
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• D.O.W Saturday 27th April 1918
• Commemorated at: Guise French Nat Cem
  Panel Ref: Allied Section 1156

Alexander was born in the September Quarter of 1898 probably at 40 Sweden Street, Waterloo, Liverpool to Sefton born Bricklayer/Labourer Henry and Catherine Alcock (nee Lee).  They had 10 children 7 boys and 3 girls. Alexander was the 4th born of the 10. His elder brother Denis died aged 1 in 1897, his other elder brother John Henry died aged 4 in 1899.

The 1901 Census shows the family are living at 40 Sweden Street, Waterloo, Liverpool.

By the 1911 Census Scholar Alexander , now aged 13 is living with his parents and siblings at 32 Denmark Street, Waterloo, Liverpool.

On 5th April 1915 he enlists at Seaforth Barracks into the 149th Royal Artillery as Private 16652 stating his age to be 19 years and 5 days, but really he was only 16 years old! He was a Porter by profession, he is described as being 5 Feet 4 inches tall, weighed 123 lbs with a 36 inch chest. He is living at 29 Sweden Street, Waterloo and listing his Mother Catherine as Next of Kin. Just 3 months later, in Blackpool, on 3rd July 1915 he was Discharged at Unfit for Service.

He appears however, to have enlisted again at Seaforth Barracks, into the 19th Pals as Pte. 30573 this appears to be a Royal Artillery number.

On 20th September 1917 his eldest first born brother Joseph Peter Alcock was killed in action in Belgium, aged 24, whilst serving as L/Cpl 265237 of 1/7th King's (Liverpool) Regiment. His body was not recovered from the battlefield and Joseph Peter is listed on the missing on the Tyne Cot Memorial in Belgium.

Alexander with his 19th Pals was also sent overseas and the battalion diary records that on :-

"26th April 1918 The Enemy again raided the King's,  the 19th was then in the line in front of Boyelles.
After  a Violent Bombardment from 9.10 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. the enemy attacked up the three Saps along the Btn front. The King's had been waiting for him ready organised and counter attacked!
By 11.35 a.m.the enemy had been driven helter skelter out of the trench by 11.45 a.m. from the Saps back to his own lines."

The Battalion had 1 Officer and 11 Other Ranks all wounded in this the Second Battle of Kemmel. Presumably Alexander was one of these wounded, dying the following day of his wounds in Guise War Hospital on 27 April 1918 aged 19.

He is Commemorated at the Allied Section 1156 at the Guise French National Cemetery, where he is buried with a Commonwealth War Grave headstone.

Guise has given its name to the battle of the 29th-30th August, 1914, between the French Fifth Army and the Germans. It was retaken by French troops on the 4th November, 1918.

The National Cemetery was begun by the Germans in 1914, and, enlarged after the Armistice.

There are now nearly 50, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, a small number are unidentified and three special memorials are erected to soldiers known or believed to be buried among them and another to a United Kingdom soldier buried in Guise Communal Cemetery whose grave could not be found.

His Soldiers Effects of £8 2s 9d was sent to his father Henry on 29/03/1919 and a War Gratuity of £13 was sent to his mother Catherine on 03rd May 1920

She received Pensions awards for both her Sons.

Henry and Catherine therefore mourned 4 of their 10 Children, they had 2 sons killed in action with the King's Liverpool Regiment within 7 months.

We currently have no further information on Alexander Alcock, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.