Family :

Service Life:

Campaigns:

• The Second Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902, South Africa.
• The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.

The Battle of the Somme 1st July - 18th November 1916 is inevitably characterised by the appalling casualties (60,000) on the first day, July 1st 1916. Having failed to break through the German lines in force, and also failed to maximise opportunities where success was achieved, the battle became a series of attritional assaults on well defended defence in depth. The battle continued officially until 18th November 1916 costing almost 500,000 British casualties. German casualties were about the same, and French about 200,000. The Somme could not be counted a success in terms of ground gained or the cost, but it had a strategic impact as it marked the start of the decline of the German Army. Never again would it be as effective whilst the British Army, learning from its experience eventually grew stronger to become a war winning army. The German High Command recognised that it could never again fight another Somme, a view that advanced the decision to invoke unrestricted submarine warfare in an attempt to starve Britain of food and material, and in doing so accelerated the United States declaration of war thus guaranteeing the eventual outcome. 287 Brethren were killed on the Somme in 1916.

Detail :

"A" Battery, 87th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery.

See also: Dulwich College:

"Alec was born on May 13th 1881, the second son of an ex-Indian civil servant, also called Alexander Drysdale, and his wife, Louisa. Whilst at the College he was a boarder in Elm Lawn, and after three years as a pupil left in the summer of 1896. In April 1899 he took a militia position in the Kent Artillery, and the following year he transferred to the Royal Garrison Artillery, with whom he subsequently went out to South Africa to fight in the Boer War, during which period he was promoted to Lieutenant, in April 1901. After the War had finished he and his battery were sent to Mauritius, where in 1906 he was appointed as Aide de Camp to the Governor of Mauritius, Sir Cavendish Boyle, a position he held for the next four years. Following this he spent a period serving in Gibraltar, during which time he was promoted to Captain, then in 1912 returned to England in order to serve as Adjutant of the Ordnance College, Woolwich.

When war was declared in 1914 Alec was transferred to the port of Berehaven in Ireland, where he was in charge of the artillery defences. In early 1915 however he was tasked with raising “A” Battery, 87th Brigade of the Royal Field Artillery, and was in command of that unit when he transferred to France for the first time in July. In October of that year he was promoted once more, this time to the rank of Major. He was involved in a reconnaissance mission near Delville Wood on the Somme in late July 1916 when he was declared “missing”, and is believed to have been killed on July 28th."

Probate record shows: DRYSDALE, Alexander Icely of 2 Kingswood Road, Shortlands, Kent. Major, R.G.A., died on or since 28 July 1916 in France. Administration, London, 25th September to Alexander Tovey Drysdale, retired Indian civil servant. Effects £200

Masonic :

Joined Lodge of Friendship No 1696, Mauritius in 1906 effectively becoming and English Constitution Mason, from Pinelands Kilwinning Lodge 960 S.C., resigning and rejoining in 1908 and 1909 respectively. He then joined Ubique Lodge No. 1789. He is listed as a Lieutenant and resident at Mauritius. He became a petitioning and founder member of the Letchworth Lodge No. 3503, at Gibraltar on 26th April 1911. He further joined the Connaught Lodge No. 2915, Gibraltar on 29th April 1911.

Source :

The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:

• The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
• The (UK) National Archives
• Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
• ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry

Additional Source:

• Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
• Researcher : Bruce Littley