Source: Leicestershire War Memorials Project.
George Michael Alexander, usually known as Alex, was born in Edinburgh on 22nd August 1918, only son of Harold Julius Wernher, Major 12th Lancers and Anastasie (Zia) Wernher (née de Torby) of Bath House, Picadilly, London. The family moved to Thorpe Lubenham Hall, Market Harborough, before going to Luton Hoo. Alex went to Eton, leaving in 1936. Alex was described as a delightful, unspoilt boy, though he became a typical young army officer. He then served with 17th/21st Lancers, Royal Armoured Corps, because he thought he would be able to play polo, but at the outset of the war 17th/21st Lancers were converted to tanks!

In November 1942 he was serving in Tunisia, as part of Operation Torch, using Valentine Mk III and Crusader Mk II tanks. They eventually converted to Sherman tanks. The 17th/21st were involved in Tebourba Gap, Bou Arada, Kasserine and the defence of Thala, where they suffered the loss of 14 tanks. One night Alex's squadron had to go back to the harbour. Unfortunately his tank had trouble and Alex was waiting on foot to guide the squadron across a gully. One tank got stuck and as it was being towed out, Alex's leg and hip were crushed between the tanks. Medical facilities were pretty basic and this was before penicillin had come into general use. Gangerene set in and, despite the doctor giving him a pint of his own blood, Alex died at 11.15am on Friday 4th December 1942. He was first buried at Béja Communal Cemetery before being re-interred at Medjez-el-Bab War Cemetery.Grave 5.B.20.

George Michael Alexander Wernher, besides being commemorated on the Sun Dial War Memorial at Lubenham, he is also commemorated on a plaque at the East Hyde Mausoleum, and a Memorial Stained Glass Window with brass plaque beneath, South aisle and the recently installed WW2 Memorial Plaque, North Aisle, All Saints, Lubenham.

Submitted by P. Clements in 2020