[Illustration: =James Home Aitken.=]
=AITKEN, SIDNEY CHARLES=, Private, No. 10447, 2nd Battn. Coldstream Guards, _s._ of Charles William Aitken, of 72, Clinton Lane, Kenilworth; _b._ Warwick; killed in action on the Western Front, 23 Oct. 1914. Buried 700 yards south of cross roads, north-west of Zonnebeke.
=AITON, ANDREW ALFRED=, A.B. (R.F.R., Ch. B. 1045). 143845, H.M.S. Cressy; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.
=AKED, GEORGE=, Lieut., 5th Battn. Leicestershire Regt. (T.F.), only _s._ of George Aked, of Mapperley Park, Nottingham, by his wife, Sarah, dau. of Samuel Wilkins; _b._ 19 April, 1895; educ. at Nottingham High School, where he served in the O.T.C. for two and a-half years, and was one of the High School Contingent reviewed by the King at Windsor in 1911. He received an appointment in the Nottingham and Notts Bank at Shepshed, near Loughboro in 1911, and in 1912, when a company of the 5th Leicesters was formed at Shepshed, he was given a commission 26 Oct. 1912, and promoted Lieut. 30 Aug. 1914. He was the only resident officer at Shepshed and had sole charge of the training of the company. At the outbreak of war the battalion was in camp and after various duties in England, including night guard near Enfield, they went to France in Feb. 1915, and were immediately sent to the Front. He was killed in action at Le Bizet, 5 March, 1915; _unm._ Lieut.-Col. Jones in command wrote as follows: “We have lost in him an officer of much promise. He had developed very rapidly since he joined us. He was extraordinarily conscientious in his work, and everything his duty called him to do he did faithfully, thoroughly and well.” He was buried near Armentières.
[Illustration: =George Aked.=]
=AKEHURST, ALEXANDER JAMES=, Private, No. 1539, 5th Battn. Royal Sussex Regt., _s._ of Alfred Akehurst, of Walters Farm Cottage, Ticehurst, Sussex, Farm Labourer, by his wife, Susannah, dau. of George Cheesman; _b._ Etchingham, co. Sussex, 22 June, 1896; educ. Frimwell School; was a farm labourer on Walters Farm; joined the Sussex Territorials, 29 Aug. 1912; mobilised, 5 Aug. 1914, on the outbreak of war; went with his battn. to Dover and then to the Tower, where he volunteered for Imperial service; left England for the Front, 18 Feb. 1915, and was killed in action at the Battle of Carency, 9 May, 1915; _unm._ He was buried about half a mile from St. Vaast.
[Illustration: =A. J. Akehurst.=]
=ALCOCK, HENRY=, A.B. (R.F.R., B. 6711), S.S. 999, H.M.S. Hawke; lost in action in the North Sea, 15 Oct. 1914.
=ALDER, DAVID=, Petty Officer, 212628, H.M.S. Cressy; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.
=ALDER, WILLIAM STANLEY=, Corpl., No. 11057, 2nd Battn. Coldstream Guards, yst. _s._ of Joseph George Alder, of 35, Floyd Street, Charlton, S.E., by his wife, Emma, dau. of John Gilson; _b._ East Greenwich, 13 Oct. 1896; educ. Christ Church School there; enlisted 8 or 10 Aug. 1914, and was killed in action at La Bassée, 1 Feb. 1915; _unm._ He was buried in Cuinchy Cemetery (Section C, Grave No. 4).
[Illustration: =William Stanley Alder.=]
=ALDERSON, HENRY=, Corpl., No. 5902, 3rd Battn. Coldstream Guards, _s._ of Thomas Alderson, of 33, Martin Street, Sheffield, Carpenter; _b._ Sheffield, 18 Nov. 1885; educ. there; enlisted Oct. 1904, and was killed in action at St. Julien, 21 Oct. 1914. He _m._ at St. Andrew’s Church, Islington, 24 Dec. 1911, Ethel Francis (75, Copenhagen Street, Islington, N.), dau. of Thomas Barker, of London, and had a son, Edward Thomas, _b._ 21 July, 1913.
[Illustration: =Henry Alderson.=]
=ALDERSON, JOSEPH=, Private, No. 423, 8th Battn. (90th Winnipeg Rifles), Canadian Expeditionary Force, 2nd _s._ of James Alderson, of Ingleboro’ House, Formby, near Liverpool, Farmer and Butcher, by his wife, Margaret, dau. of William Ellison, of Yorkshire; _b._ Duke’s Farm, Formby, 27 July, 1890; educ. Clitheroe Grammar School, and was then articled to a well-known firm of solicitors in Liverpool. After two years of office life he felt the need of open living, so went to Canada, where he joined the Saskatoon police force, and quickly rose to a detective. On the outbreak of war, 5 Aug. 1914, he at once joined the 90th Winnipeg Rifles, known as “The Little Black Devils,” and came over with the first contingent. After being in several engagements he was killed, 3 June, 1915, by a “coal-box” shell which exploded at the door of a dug-out he was leaving, in a communication trench known as “Gunners siding” in Givenchy; death was instantaneous. He was buried in an orchard behind the trenches.
[Illustration: =Joseph Alderson.=]
=ALDERTON, ARTHUR=, Arm. Mate, 342982, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in the action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914.
=ALDERTON, CHARLES=, A.B. (R.F.R., Ch. B. 3310), 176323, H.M.S. Cressy; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.
=ALDISS, HARRY=, Stoker, P.O. 283643, H.M.S. Aboukir; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.
=ALDOUS, CECIL=, A.B., 211922, H.M.S. Pathfinder; lost when that ship was sunk by a mine, about 20 miles off the East Coast, 5 Sept. 1914.
=ALDOUS, WILLIAM=, Private, No. 8286, 1st Battn. Middlesex Regt.; died on active service with the Expeditionary Force in France, 20 Sept. 1914; _m._
=ALDRED, JOHN WILLIAM=, A.B., R.F.R., B. 2386, 208914, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in the action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914.
=ALDRIDGE, DAVID=, Private, R.M.L.I., Ports. 14961, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in the action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914.
=ALDRIDGE, ERNEST SIDNEY=, Private, No. 9720, 1st Battn. East Kent Regt., _s._ of William Harry Aldridge, of 5, Curzon Road, Chatham; died 4 Nov. 1914, of wounds received in action on the Western Front.
=ALDRIDGE, REGINALD JOHN PETTY DEVENISH=, Capt. 2nd Battn. Royal Sussex Regt., _s._ of the late Reginald Aldridge, of Poole, Dorset, Solicitor; _b._ Poole, co. Dorset, 7 Sept. 1877; educ. privately and at Worcester College, Oxford, where he took his B.A. Degree, and won his blue for football, and was gazetted 2nd Lieut. Royal Sussex Regt. 23 May, 1900, and promoted Lieut. 21 March, 1903, and Capt. 1 April, 1910. In 1902 he was Instructor of Signalling at Kasauli, and in 1904 commanded a company of Mounted Infantry in Malta. He was attached to the West African Regt. from May, 1905 to Jan. 1908, being Assistant Adjutant and Quartermaster from June, 1906, to Jan. 1908, and was Adjutant to the 2nd Royal Guernsey L.I. Jan. 1908, to Jan. 1912, when he rejoined his regt. at Woking. He went to France with the first Expeditionary Force, 12 Aug. 1914, and was killed instantaneously by a high explosive shell, 7 Oct. 1914, while preparing to return to the trenches for the night. He was buried in the little churchyard at Troyon. He _m._ in London, 5 May, 1908, Mabel Dulcibella (Broadlands, 2, Prideaux Road, Eastbourne), yst. dau. of the late Rev. John Padmore Noble, of 20, Palace Court, London, W., formerly Vicar of Childs Ercall, Market Drayton, and had two children: Reginald, _b._ (posthumous), 24 Dec. 1914, and Dulcibella, _b._ 24 Dec. 1909.
[Illustration: =R. J. P. D. Aldridge.=]
=ALDRIDGE, THOMAS=, Sapper, No. 1103, Kent Fortress R.E. (T.F.), _s._ of John Aldridge, of 50, Cambridge Road, Strood; died at Sheerness, 16 Aug. 1914, of pneumonia contracted on active service.
=ALDRIDGE, WILLIAM=, Private, No. 1540, 1st Battn. Coldstream Guards, _s._ of Absolam Aldridge, of Aston Farm, Wallingford, Berks; enlisted 18 March, 1898; served at Gibraltar, 10 March to 27 Oct. 1899, and in South Africa, 28 Oct. 1899, to 20 July, 1902 (Queen’s medal with six clasps: “Belmont,” “Modder River,” “Dreifontein,” “Johannesburg,” “Diamond Hill” and “Belfast”; King’s medal with two clasps: “South Africa, 1901,” “South Africa, 1902”); obtained his discharge, 17 March, 1910; re-enlisted 1 Sept. 1914; served with the Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders from 8 Aug. 1914; killed in action at Cuinchy, 25 Jan. 1915.
=ALEXANDER, CHARLES=, Stoker, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in the action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914.
=ALEXANDER, ERNEST=, Officer’s Steward, 3rd Class, L. 5030, H.M.S. Pathfinder; lost when that ship was sunk by a mine, about 20 miles off the East Coast, 5 Sept. 1914.
=ALEXANDER, JAMES=, Private, No. 27032, A Coy., 15th Battn. (48th Highlanders of Canada), Canadian Expeditionary Force, only _s._ of James Alexander, of 3, Eastmount Avenue, Toronto, formerly of Drumoak, Scotland, by his wife, Isabella, dau. of Andrew Milne, of Echt, Aberdeenshire; _b._ West Cairnton, Peterculter, co. Aberdeen, 9 July, 1892; educ. Drumoak Public School, and Robert Gordon’s College, Aberdeen; on leaving the latter, joined his father at Niagara Falls, Canada, afterwards going with him to Toronto. Here he spent several years with the firm of Cockburn and Bundy, wholesale milliners, during which time he gained the respect of all. After being with them for one year, he became one of their travellers, and was making a success of his work. He was an enthusiastic member and officer of the Prince of Orange Lodge, No. 111, of Toronto. When war was declared, he volunteered for overseas service, 11 Aug. 1914, and left Canada with the first contingent. He was gassed, wounded and taken prisoner at the Battle of St. Julien, and died of wounds about 27 April, 1915; _unm._ He was buried at Moorseele.