Blyth News 10/10/1921
Tyne Cot Memorial
Tyne Cot Memorial
Dorothy Hall has submitted the following:
Alexander Holland, the youngest son of Joseph and Keziah (nee Penny) Holland was born at Whitburn near South Shields in 1896. In 1901 the family was at 7 Eastbourne Gardens, South Shields, and by 1911 they had moved to 29 New Row at Isabella Pit, Newsham near Blyth. Both Joseph and his son Alexander were coal miners. Sometime after the family moved again to Ashington and Army correspondence is addressed to 97 Sycamore Street Ashington.
In 1914 Alexander enlisted at Ashington and joined the Northern Cyclists' Battalion with service number 1168. In May and June 1917 he was in hospital with multiple abscesses. Alexander did not go to France till 23rd June 1917 and was sent to join the 9th Yorks. and Lancs. Service Battalion with a new service number 235467. He was killed in action on the 12th of November 1917 aged 21 years and is named on the Tyne Cot memorial.
The Blyth News 10/10/1921 In Memoriam entry reads:-
In loving memory of our dear son Pte. Alexander Holland, 9th Yorks. and Lancs., killed in France October 12th 1917. Though absent in body yet with us in spirit. Ever remembered by his loving father and mother Joseph and Keelah (sic) Holland.
Anthony Brett Davies adds:
He is my great, great uncle and I am trying to find out more about him myself.
I know he was the youngest child of Joseph and Keizah , and were absolutely devastated when they got the news (recounts of conversations with my grandma, Ester Smetham nee Hutchinson), where they took up spiritualism at Ashington Spiritualist Church.
Alexander Holland is remembered in Ashington on A17.01 (A17.27)
There is a brief mention of him in Northern Cyclist Battalion C Company Memoir
