Tess McTiernan has submitted the following:
Alex English, the eldest of five children, was born in 1892 in Dipton to John and Margaret English. In 1911, Alex, aged 20, was living at 3 Maddisons Row, Dipton and worked in the mines as a putter. He worked underground pushing wagons full of coal from his working place to a horse road or mechanical haulage road.
Along with his younger brother, Alex enlisted in late 1914 in the 24th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers. After initial training near home, he joined the 103rd Brigade, 34th Division at Ripon in June 1915 and after further training moved to Salisbury Plain in late August for final training. Alex proceeded to France in January 1916 where the Division concentrated at La Crosse, east of St.Omer. He was engaged in action during the Battles of the Somme.
Alex was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal (D.C.M.) for conspicuous gallantry. 'When the enemy exploded a mine and tried to capture the crater, he fired 103 bombs at the attacking party at great personal risk. He also threw six full boxes of bombs at the enemy after detaching the pin from one of them and replacing it in the box. His gallant action gained the crater for us'.
Alex died of wounds on 4th September, 1916. He was awarded the D.C.M., Victory Medal and British War Medals.
Remembered with Honour Contalmaison Chateau Cemetery, France Plot 11.B.4
See also Charles A. Hughes
Alexander English is remembered at Dipton on D46.02 and D46.06 and in Leadgate on L65.01
