Alexander Edwards
Encyclopedia
Alexander Edwards VC was a Scottish
recipient of the Victoria Cross
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British
and Commonwealth
forces.
He was born in Stotfield, Lossiemouth
, Morayshire. He was the son of a fisherman and became a cooper working in the herring fishery
. He served with the 1/6th (Morayshire) Bn, the Seaforth Highlanders
, 51st Highland Division
and joined the battalion at Elgin
in July 1914. Edwards demonstrated tremendous bravery and was awarded the Victoria Cross
for his actions at Pilckem Ridge during the first day of the Battle of Passchendaele.
and on 24 March, Edwards was killed and missing in action at Bapaume
Wood, east of Arras, France
. For three days the Division fought in trenches, then for two days fought stubborn rear-guard actions. During those critical days of March the casualties of the Division numbered 219 officers and 4,666 other ranks, of which 2,714 were missing.
is displayed at the Regimental Museum of Queen's Own Highlanders in Fort George, Inverness-shire, Scotland.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
recipient of the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
forces.
He was born in Stotfield, Lossiemouth
Lossiemouth
Lossiemouth is a town in Moray, Scotland. Originally the port belonging to Elgin, it became an important fishing town. Although there has been over a 1,000 years of settlement in the area, the present day town was formed over the past 250 years and consists of four separate communities that...
, Morayshire. He was the son of a fisherman and became a cooper working in the herring fishery
Scottish east coast fishery
The Scottish east coast fishery has been in existence for more than a thousand years, spanning the Viking period right up to the present day.-A brief history:...
. He served with the 1/6th (Morayshire) Bn, the Seaforth Highlanders
Seaforth Highlanders
The Seaforth Highlanders was a historic regiment of the British Army associated with large areas of the northern Highlands of Scotland. The Seaforth Highlanders have varied in size from two battalions to seventeen battalions during the Great War...
, 51st Highland Division
British 51st (Highland) Division (World War I)
The 51st Division was a British Territorial Force division that fought on the Western Front in France during the First World War. The division's insignia was a stylised 'HD' inside a red circle. Early doubts about the division's performance earned it the nickname of "Harper's Duds" after the...
and joined the battalion at Elgin
Elgin, Moray
Elgin is a former cathedral city and Royal Burgh in Moray, Scotland. It is the administrative and commercial centre for Moray. The town originated to the south of the River Lossie on the higher ground above the flood plain. Elgin is first documented in the Cartulary of Moray in 1190...
in July 1914. Edwards demonstrated tremendous bravery and was awarded the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
for his actions at Pilckem Ridge during the first day of the Battle of Passchendaele.
Citation
An extract from "The London Gazette," dated 14 September 1917, recorded the following:Killed in action
On the 21 March 1918 the Germans began the ferocious Kaiserschlacht spring offensiveSpring Offensive
The 1918 Spring Offensive or Kaiserschlacht , also known as the Ludendorff Offensive, was a series of German attacks along the Western Front during World War I, beginning on 21 March 1918, which marked the deepest advances by either side since 1914...
and on 24 March, Edwards was killed and missing in action at Bapaume
Bapaume
Bapaume is a commune and the seat of a canton in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A farming and light industrial town located 10 miles south of Arras at the junction of the A1 autoroute and the N17 and N30 national roads its location is...
Wood, east of Arras, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. For three days the Division fought in trenches, then for two days fought stubborn rear-guard actions. During those critical days of March the casualties of the Division numbered 219 officers and 4,666 other ranks, of which 2,714 were missing.
The medal
His Victoria CrossVictoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
is displayed at the Regimental Museum of Queen's Own Highlanders in Fort George, Inverness-shire, Scotland.