Cpl. James Frederick Alexander

James Frederick Alexander was born at Hāwera in Taranaki, New Zealand on 18 April 1885 (reg. 1885/5880). He was the son of surgeon Dr. William Copland Alexander (1854-1907) and Annie Porter Alexander (nee Winks) (1859-1908) who had married in Wellington in 1881. James married Louisa Marie Jahn at Pahiatua in 1907. They had two children together, Annie Elizabeth Alexander (1908-2009) and James Frederick Cecil Alexander (1910-1968). James joined the New Zealand Rifle Brigade, 3rd Battalion during World War I. He was killed in action in France on 4 November 1918 as the New Zealander Division were liberating the town of Le Quesnoy from four hard years of German occupation. The walled mediaeval fortress town was hard to liberate and links between Le Quesnoy and New Zealand remain today. James was buried in the Romeries Communal Cemetery Extension, [ IX. A. 2.]. In 1921 Louisa and the children moved to California in the United States (bio by Debbie McCauley, 29 December 2022).

Sources

1. Cenotaph: https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/...
2. New Zealand and World War One Roll of Honour: http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~sooty/genealogy/nzefrohA.html / Ref 2.4.2021