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World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar great 1914 1918 first battalion regiment
Pte. John Alexander Glen MID
British Army 18th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers
from:Rowlands Gill, Co Durham
(d.21st Oct 1917)
Alex Glen with wife Esther and daughter Winnie, taken in 1915 before my Great Grandfather left for the Western Front
Alex Glen served in the 18th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers (1st Tyneside Pioneers) and arrived in France in early January 1916. The Batallion saw action across the western front, and as a pioneer batallion was responsible for construction work, digging trenches and tunnels, laying railway lines as well as being called upon to fight 'in the line'. His platoon prepared for the disastrous Somme offensive of July 1st 1916 and was then engaged in the gruesome task of burying the dead in the aftermath. He fought at Vimy Ridge, Arras, Armentieres and other areas of the front.In 1917, the batallion was moved to Ypres where they laid the railways to carry men and ammunition to the front, often being accused of attracting enemy fire. Well, the batallion was regarded as a 'lucky' one and with only a few hundred killed, statistically this was true. While out on the battlefield in the battle for Passchendaele, Alex was caught in some fighting near the beautifully named Juliet Farm, near Poelkapelle in Belgium. He returned to help one of the other men, and was hit (we don't know what by) and taken to the Dozinghem Casualty Clearing Station near Poperinge, where he died of his wounds. His grave is in the Dozinghem Military Cemetery along with 1300 others. It is a beautiful place.
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