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Alexander Edwards

Alexander Edwards VC (4 November 1885 – 24 March 1918) was a Scottish soldier in the British Army who was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross (VC), the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces, for his actions during the Battle of Passchendaele in the First World War. Born in Lossiemouth, Morayshire, Scotland, to a fisherman father, Edwards worked as a cooper before enlisting in the Territorial Force in 1910. He served with the 6th (Morayshire) Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders, seeing action in France from 1914 and at Gallipoli in 1915. On 31 July–1 August 1917, near Ypres, Belgium, as a sergeant, he led assaults on German positions despite being wounded multiple times, capturing objectives and saving comrades, for which he received the VC. Edwards was reported missing in action, presumed killed, during the German Spring Offensive on 24 March 1918 near Arras.

Early Life

Birth and Family

Alexander Edwards was born on 4 November 1885 in Stotfield, a coastal hamlet near in Morayshire, . He was the son of Alexander Edwards, a engaged in the local industry, and Jessie Edwards (née Smith), whom his father had married on 3 October 1873 at the United Presbyterian Church in . Edwards grew up in a large family that included seven siblings: Ann, William, Margaret, Jemima, James, John, and Jessie. His family resided at The Camp in Drainie, , as part of the tight-knit working-class community dependent on the seasonal fisheries that dominated the local economy. Raised in this maritime environment, Edwards attended Lossiemouth School for his early education and supplemented the family income by working as a for visitors at the nearby during his boyhood. These experiences shaped his formative years in a modest, labor-oriented before he transitioned into employment in the .

Pre-War Occupation

Before the First World War, Alexander Edwards was employed as a in the fishery industry based in , , . He served his with Thomas Jenkins, a fish curer in nearby , and subsequently worked for employers including James Gerry in and Thomas Davidson in . Coming from a family with a background in , Edwards' occupation aligned closely with the local centered on . The role of a cooper in this industry entailed crafting sturdy wooden barrels from timber staves and hoops, which were vital for salting, storing, and transporting catches to markets across and beyond. These barrels had to be watertight to preserve the fish in , preventing leakage that could spoil entire loads; coopers like Edwards shaped and assembled them using traditional hand tools, often without gauges or rulers, relying on practiced eye and steady hand. In Lossiemouth's bustling , where seasons drove seasonal booms, such barrels supported the of , forming a key pillar of the regional trade in the early 20th century. This trade imposed significant physical demands, requiring coopers to lift and manipulate heavy components—staves could weigh dozens of pounds—while working in prolonged standing or crouched positions amid damp, salty conditions. The labor built considerable strength and endurance through repetitive bending, hammering, and planing, fostering the robust fitness Edwards carried into his later service. Moreover, the precision honed practical skills in craftsmanship and resourcefulness, qualities that proved transferable to handling equipment and improvising in demanding environments.

Military Career

Enlistment and Early Service

At the outbreak of , Alexander Edwards enlisted as a volunteer in the on 1 September 1914, joining the 6th (Morayshire) Battalion, , a [Territorial Force](/page/Territorial Force) unit headquartered in Garmouth, Morayshire. The battalion, part of the Seaforth and Cameron Highlanders Brigade within the Highland Division, mobilized immediately upon the declaration of war, with Edwards enlisting at shortly after his 28th birthday. As a pre-war apprenticed in barrel-making for the local , Edwards brought practical manual skills that contributed to his quick adaptation to the demands of military service. The 6th Battalion underwent initial organization and basic training in Scotland following mobilization, focusing on drill, musketry, and infantry tactics as a territorial unit expanding rapidly with wartime volunteers. In November 1914, the battalion relocated to Bedford, England, as part of the redesignated 51st (Highland) Division, where intensive training continued for several months, including field exercises, route marches, and preparations for overseas deployment under the command of experienced officers. This period honed the unit's cohesion, transforming civilian volunteers like Edwards into disciplined soldiers ready for the Western Front, with Edwards promoted to lance corporal before embarkation. The battalion arrived in on 1 May 1915, landing at Boulogne and joining the British Expeditionary Force amid the ongoing . Assigned to the , the 51st Division took over defensive positions at Wieltje northeast of , where Edwards and his comrades performed initial non-combat duties such as trench consolidation, wiring, and support roles to strengthen the line against German gas attacks and artillery. These tasks involved laborious engineering work to improve fortifications in waterlogged terrain, providing essential stability before the division's deeper involvement in frontline operations later that summer.

World War I Engagements

Edwards served with the 1/6th (Morayshire) Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders, part of the 152nd Infantry Brigade in the 51st (Highland) Division, arriving in France in May 1915 to engage in the grueling trench warfare of the Western Front. The division's early months involved routine rotations in waterlogged sectors near Festubert and Givenchy, where soldiers endured constant exposure to mud, sniping, and artillery bombardments while constructing breastworks and deep dug-outs amid mining threats from German forces. By September 1915, the 51st Division supported the Battle of Loos through feint operations and training New Army units in trench routines, though the 152nd Brigade avoided the main assault, focusing instead on holding lines under intermittent shellfire. In early 1916, the 6th took over front-line positions in the sector near , a heavily contested area of fortified trenches and ruined villages scarred by prior French-German fighting, where Edwards participated in raids and patrols under heavy machine-gun fire. Edwards then served with his unit during the offensive, including assaults on High Wood in July 1916 and the capture of Beaumont Hamel on 13 November 1916 by the 152nd Brigade, which overran German positions and took over 2,000 prisoners, though at a cost of 45% casualties to the attacking force. The division's experience, marked by over 3,500 casualties in July alone, honed its tactics for "peaceful penetration" advances, emphasizing small-scale infiltrations over massed charges. In October 1916, Edwards was evacuated due to a throat infection, spending six weeks in and two weeks on leave in before being posted to a training . He volunteered to rejoin the 1/6th in June 1917 when a draft was short of non-commissioned officers, missing the division's earlier engagements at .

Victoria Cross Action

On 31 July 1917, during the Battle of Pilckem Ridge as part of the Third Battle of Ypres (also known as the Battle of Passchendaele), Sergeant Alexander Edwards of the 1/6th (Morayshire) Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders, part of the 51st Highland Division, led his platoon in an advance north of Ypres, Belgium. Edwards' unit advanced from Muller Cottage toward a bridgehead across the Steenbeek stream, but progress was severely hampered by the deep Flanders mud near Macdonald’s Farm and intense enemy fire. Leading C Company as acting company sergeant major, Edwards located a hostile machine gun positioned in a wood and, with great dash and courage, directed some men to rush the emplacement, personally hurling bombs to capture the gun and kill the entire crew of ten. As the platoon pressed forward under heavy shelling and machine-gun fire, a sniper began inflicting casualties; Edwards crawled out alone to stalk and eliminate the sniper, sustaining a severe wound to his arm in the process but persisting to complete the task. With only one remaining in the company, Edwards recognized the critical need to seize the furthest —a strongly defended position including ruined buildings—and, disregarding his injury, led his men onward across no-man's-land to within 100 yards of the goal, supported by a . He then directed a final across the bridge, personally bombing enemy dugouts to capture key strongpoints such as Maison du Rasa and Maison Bulgare, taking several prisoners in the process. In the immediate aftermath, Edwards demonstrated exceptional skill in consolidating the newly gained ground, organizing defenses and conducting daring personal reconnaissances despite his wounds. His suffered heavy casualties during the advance to , though exact figures for Company are not specified; Edwards himself was wounded again twice the following day by to the knee but refused treatment until the position was secure, inspiring his men to hold firm overnight. By 1 August, as enemy counterattacks rendered the untenable, Edwards withdrew his unit and reported to headquarters before being evacuated to hospital.

Death and Legacy

Final Service and Death

Following his investiture with the by King George V at on 26 September 1917, Sergeant Alexander Edwards returned to with the 6th Battalion, , rejoining his unit on the Western Front after a period of leave and public recognition in his hometown of , Morayshire. Edwards continued to serve in the intensifying combat of early 1918 until 24 March, when he was killed in action near Loupart Wood, east of , , during the (). The offensive, launched on 21 March, involved heavy artillery barrages and rapid advances that overwhelmed lines in the region, leading to chaotic retreats and high casualties among Allied forces. Edwards' body was never identified or recovered amid the fierce fighting, and he was officially reported as missing, presumed killed. He is commemorated on the Arras Memorial (Bay 8), which honors nearly 35,000 servicemen from the , , and who died in the Arras sector between spring 1916 and 7 August 1918 but have no known grave.

The Victoria Cross and Commemoration

The awarded to Sergeant Alexander Edwards was officially announced in the London Gazette on 14 September 1917. The full citation read: "No. 265473 Sjt. Alexander Edwards, Sea. Highrs. (). For most conspicuous bravery in attack, when, having located a hostile in a wood, he, with great dash and courage, led some men against it, killed all the team and captured the gun. Later, when a was causing casualties, he crawled out to stalk him, and although badly wounded in the arm, went on and killed him. One officer only was now left with the company, and, realising that the success of the operation depended on the capture of the furthest objective, Sjt. Edwards, regardless of his wound, led his men on till this objective was captured. He subsequently showed great skill in consolidating his position, and very great daring in personal . Although again twice wounded on the following day, this very gallant N.C.O. maintained throughout a complete disregard for personal safety, and his high example of coolness and determination engendered a fine fighting spirit in his men." Edwards received his from King George V during an investiture at on 26 September 1917. A week later, on 4 October 1917, he was honored in his hometown of , where the community presented him with a gold watch, a purse, and £100 in war bonds during a public reception. The is the highest award available to members of the armed forces of the and for gallantry in action with the enemy. Edwards' medal is currently held and displayed at The Highlanders' Museum in Fort George, , . Edwards' legacy endures through various commemorations in Scottish , where he is recognized as one of the few recipients from and listed among the 628 awarded during the First World War. A notable memorial is the sundial at Golf Links in , erected in honor of Edwards and his cousin, Captain George Eric Edwards DSO, both natives of the town who fell in the Great War; the inscription reads: "IN MEMORY OF / TWO BRAVE MEN / BOTH NATIVES OF LOSSIEMOUTH / WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WAR / 1914 - 1918. / IN THEIR BOYHOOD THEY / 'CARRIED' ON THE / MORAY LINKS."

References

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