Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of John Hubbard, and Sarah Sander, a charwoman, born 1860 in Gravesend, Kent. Alexander Robert was born in the 4th quarter of 1898 in Forest Gate, Essex, in April 1911 the family home was at Burton Overy, Leicestershire. Alexander died whilst a Prisoner of War.
Alexander attested into the Army on an engagement for General Service with the Colours or in the Reserve for the period of the War on the 13th March 1917 in Glen Parva, Leicestershire. He gave his present home address as Burton Overy, Leicestershire, his age as 18 years and 6 months and his trade or calling as butcher. He confirmed that he was unmarried. He gave his next of kin as his mother, Mrs Sarah Sanders of Burton Overy, Leicestershire. His medical examination recorded that he was 5 foot 7 inches in height, weighed 134 pounds and he had a chest measurement of between 34 and 37 inches. His physical development was described as good. He gave his religion as Church of England. His record of service began when he joined the Depot of the Derbyshire Yeomanry as a Private, service number 76791 on the 13/3/17. Called up for service and posted to the 2/1st Derbyshire Yeomanry on the 13/3/17. Embarked from Folkestone to join the British Expeditionary Force in France on the 24/12/17. Disembarked in Boulogne on the 24/12/17. Transferred to the 2/7th Bn. Nottinghamshire & Derby Regiment and allocated the service number 100073 on the 24/12/17. Transferred to the 1st Battalion Nottinghamshire & Derby Regiment on the 29/12/17. Admitted to the 9th General Hospital, Rouen on the 30/3/18. Posted to 2nd Base Depot, Rouen on the 30/4/18. Discharged to 2nd Base Depot Calais on the 1/5/18. Joined K. J. B. Depot, Calais from Hospital on the 4/5/18. Joined the 1st Battalion Nottinghamshire and Derby Regiment on the 19/5/18. Reported missing in action on the 27/5/18. A summary of his service records: Home Service, 13/3/17 – 23/12/17, 286 days. British Expeditionary Force, France, 164 days. Total service 1 year 85 days. Alexander was awarded the British and Victory medals. His medals and memorial plaque were forwarded to his sister Kathleen Hubbard, residing at Queen’s Hospital, Hackney Road, London, E.2. Alexander’s surviving service documents are in poor condition, and much of the finer detail relating to the period of time that he spent in the Army, is either illegible or missing, hence the sparse overall description of his military and personal family history.
The War Diary records: 27 May-18 - 27 May-18 – ROUCY – GUYENCOURT. 1.00am. Enemy barrage opened VENTELAY neighbourhood and transport lines gassed. About 4.30am Battalion ordered forward to AISNE line. Retiring fight to MONTHENE and GUYENCOURT. Casualties heavy and details ordered under 2nd Lieutenant GREAVES to move up to VENTELAY about 9.30pm. Transport moved to wood South of MONTIGNY and about later 11.30pm to VENDEUIL.
Narrative May 27th
The Sherwood Foresters left ROUCY at 6.15am and marched towards LA PELMERIE BRIDGE via the CONCEVREUX – CORMICY ROAD and the B de GERNICOURT. Platoons marched at 200 x distance. There was very little hostile shelling until the Battalion got into the B de GERNICOURT but here the enemy were heavily shelling the road running through the wood towards the canal. The Battalion suffered considerable numbers of casualties, one platoon being wiped out by two 5.9’s which fell on the road in the middle of them, a certain number of gun limbers were knocked out on this road. On reaching the North edge of the wood a man of 24th Infantry Brigade was met who told us that the enemy were just coming down to the river. The Commanding Officer and the leading platoon pushed forward out of the wood and started to make their way to the canal. At the same time the enemy put down a barrage along the line of the canal 300x South of it, consisting of high explosive and gas shells which caused a thick haze all along the canal. The platoon was checked by a thick belt of wire and by the shelling and only five men reached the canal with the Commanding Officer. The enemy in large numbers were advancing towards the river from the direction of BUTTE AUX VENTS and reached the edge of the marsh on the North side of the river as we reached the canal and opened machine gun fire on our troops as they came over the ridge between the canal and the B de GERNICOURT. The enemy appeared to be very thick on the ground and were advancing in groups of about 25 men each with intervals and distances of about 100x. As they reached the edge of the marsh they lined up and moved to either flank looking for crossings. A sapper was found near the bridge over the river and he demolished the bridge and few minutes after we arrived i.e. about 7.00am. A post was then formed on the South bank of the canal, covering the demolished bridge over the river and the undamaged bridge over the canal, and the Commanding Officer then went back to take up a position on the ridge just behind (between canal and B de GERNICOURT). Intermittent rifle and machine gun fire went on but the enemy made no attempt to cross the canal. About an hour later an officer and 12 men arrived, sent by the Officer Commanding Sherwood’s to strengthen the canal post and I moved off in the direction of GERNICOURT. There was no garrison in OUVRAGE OUEST or in the trench between this point and GERNICOURT (supposed to be manned by a French Machine Gun Company). Small parties of our men (25th Infantry Brigade) could be seen along the North bank of the canal immediately North of GERNICOURT. I made my way back to the B de GERNICOURT and on the way a machine gun opened fire from the high ground just South East of PONTAVERT BRIDGE, South of the canal. The enemy must have crossed near PONTAVERT and by occupying this high ground enfiladed the position just taken up by the Sherwood’s. I gather that the Sherwood’s then fell back to the North edge of the B de GERNICOURT and held on here until 12 noon. The Machine Gun of 8th Battalion which came up behind the Sherwood’s went into position on this line. On reaching P.C. DIVISION I found the place unoccupied and when we got to the West edge of the wood we saw a party of about 20 Germans at the South West corner of the B de GERNICOURT moving towards the CONCEVREUX – CORMICY ROAD. We hurried back to warn a French machine gun detachment in the South West corner of the wood but just before we reached them they ran out into the open, were fired on by the party of Germans and surrendered. We moved back through the wood to the CONCEVREUX – CORMICY ROAD and found a large number of stragglers moving from the wood towards BOUFFIGNEREUX. A post was formed on the BOUFFIGNEREUX road 200x from the CONCEVREUX – CORMICY ROAD and fire was opened on the small party of Germans. About half an hour later this party retired towards the high ground near PONTAVERT bridge, probably forced to do this by the Sherwood’s who formed a defensive flank facing West at the North West corner of the B de GERNICOURT. Two aid posts were doing a lot of work at the South end of the B de GERNICOURT (one i/c of the Medical Officer Sherwood Foresters) and motor ambulances were clearing from these two posts all the time I was there. Gunners who were not in the wood stated that all the guns North of the river had been lost and a large number destroyed by enemy shell fire. As I came back through ROUCY parties of the enemy could be seen moving from PONTAVERT in the direction of CONCEVREUX, across on the left flank, and parties of our own troops, 25th Division and 8th Division Lewis gun school were moving into the BOUFFIGNEREUX – ROUCY LINE. At about 4.00pm I visited BOUFFIGNEREUX, and our line then ran along the North edge of the village, thence westwards along from BOUFFIGNEREUX to ROUCY. The enemy were advancing in small parties all along the front and were being held up by Lewis gun and rifle fire about 400x in front of our line. Large bodies of the enemy could be seen collecting in the woods along the South bank of the canal. From reports it appears that the Sherwood’s in the B de GERNICOURT and the garrison of GERNICOURT defences held out till 12 noon and then fell back onto Hill 180.