Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Thomas and Mary Ann Richardson, and the husband of Annie Elizabeth Richardson, nee Cobley, with whom he had a daughter Jean. His father had been a gardener and his mother a cook in the employ of the Spencer family at Althorp Hall in Northamptonshire. Shortly after Alec was born his parents moved to Wigston when his father became head gardener at the home of the Owston family at Bushloe House on Station Road in Wigston, Leicestershire, and the family home became Bushloe Cottages, 19, Manor Street, Wigston, Leicestershire. Alec grew up in Wigston, and after leaving school served an apprentiship and became a tailor. He met his death being severly wounded during an action in France, and died in a field hospital. The War Diary for today records. 4.00am. Heavy bombardment opened, gas shelling on Battalion HQ all lines down from Brigade to HQ and Companies. A Company 8th LEICESTERSHIRE REGT. relieved our own in GHQ line 1. 10.10am. Officer Commanding D Company wires that right had given way and gone back beyond VOORMEZEELE. 10.00am. Officer Commanding A Company wires that his trenches were untenable and that he was side stepping right and left. 10.45am. A Company in GHQ line were heavily shelled throughout the day and had severe losses many men being buried. 2.30pm. Enemy attacked D Company who were holding IRON BRIDGE strong point, the enemy bombed up the canal and tried to envelope D Company right flank. When the situation became known at Battalion HQ. Artillery and machine gun fire, (both direct and indirect) was directed on to the canal between IRON BRIDGE and LOCK 8 and on to VOORMEZEELE, this materially assisted D Company in repelling the attack and the enemy were driven back with severe casualties by Lewis gun and rifle fire. At dusk the enemy attacked our right platoon near KRUISSES STRAAT HOER-VOORMEZEELE ROAD but were driven off with loss. Our losses 3 killed. Hostile artillery very active from 9.00am to 8.00pm, gas and high explosive shells being used. Four direct hits on Battalion HQ with 77mm shells. 10.00pm. 50 ROYAL ENGINEERS and 100 Pioneers arrived to dig switch trench posts between IRON BRIDGE and BELLEGOED FARM, these posts were dug and occupied by LT. CHART and 2 platoons. Our artillery engaged targets on ridge during the day causing casualties to the enemy near LOCK 8. Casualties during the day were other ranks killed 6, wounded 19, missing 1. Total 20.