Lives of the First World War

9th Battalion the Royal Leicestershire Regiment and Royal Flying Corps Alexander was the fifth son of 8 children, born on 6th December 1896 to Edwin MP de Lisle and Agnes (née Hope) of Charnwood Lodge, Whitwick, Leicestershire. As from 1908 he was educated at Beaumont College (RC), Old Windsor, Berkshire following in the footsteps of his brothers John, Ambrose and Launcelot. At the outbreak of the First World War, aged 17 years, he enlisted in the County Regiment, the Leicestershire Regiment. He was commissioned in the 9th Battalion the Royal Leicestershire Regiment in September 1914. In July 1915 the Leicestershire Regiment moved to France and participated in trench warfare. On 5th October 1915 he was severely wounded in the hip and ankle by shrapnel from an airborne bomb at Bienvillers-au-Bois. After repatriation to the UK and convalescence he rejoined the 9th Battalion Leicestershire Regiment. On 14 July 1916 as a Lt/Company Commander in the 9th Battalion Leicestershire Regiment, he took part in the Battle of Bazentin Ridge (Somme area) in the attacks on Mametz wood and Bazentin-le-Petit wood. In the action he was severely wounded in the neck. Admitted to the Stationary Hospital in Boulogne and repatriated to the UK. While convalescing at Taplow Priory in July 1916 he wrote an account of the Battle entitled: “Story of a Leicestershire Company in the Great Push - by one who was there“ (37 typed pages). As a result of his wounds sustained in July 1916 he was deemed in December 1916 unable to rejoin the 9th Battalion Leicestershire Regiment; he thus transferred to the Royal Flying Corps (RFC). During his convalescence he learned to fly and his training notes “RFC Technical Notes by A. de Lisle, Jan – Feb 1917“ are extremely detailed (57 typed pages). In January 1917 he was attached to the 8th Reserve Squadron RFC at Netheravon, Wiltshire and in April 1917 attended the Central Flying School at Upavon, Wiltshire. He graduated from Upavon on 19th June 1917 and was awarded his wings as a pilot. In August 1917 he joined 21 Sqn RFC in Flanders as an Artillery observer. 21 Sqn RFC was based at La Lovie airfield close to Poperinge. Alexander spent his final leave in England with his Great-Aunt Lady Haversham at South Hill Park, from 5th to 6th November 1917 (South Hill Park Visitors’ Book, Vol 2 Sep 1916 – Aug 1929). On 20th November 1917 he was killed during the Third Battle of Ypres whilst flying his RE8 aeroplane over Ypres / Passchendaele. He was brought down by a British artillery shell between 9 -10 am. He was only 21 years old. Alexander and his co-pilot, Lt S M Goodeve, in their RE8 aeroplane died on impact and are buried next to each other in Dozinghem Military Cemetery near Poperinge, Belgium. The propeller cross placed on his grave by members of 21 Sqn RFC was replaced eventually by an Imperial War Graves Commission headstone and is at the Leicester Museum since 1994. (Lt Col Graham Parker, OBE, Retd)

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