Ernest Alexander Wilkinson was born on Thursday, 22nd September 1892 and baptised six weeks later on Saturday, 5th November at Christ Church, St Albans. Known fondly as Alec he was the fourth son of Frederick John Wilkinson and Anne Coleman and he had seven siblings. His brothers were; Archibald Harrap, Felix Wilfred, Frederick Edward and William Donald. His sisters were; Constance Attwater, Margaret Stella and Kathleen Grace. Three of Alec’s brothers served in the Great War and the youngest William Donald also fell, killed at the Somme on 14th November 1916.

Alec’s father Frederick was a Clerk to the Church Missionary Society (CMS). The CMS was founded in 1799 and was committed to three great enterprises: abolition of the slave trade, social reform at home and world evangelisation. William Wilberforce MP was among the founding members. Frederick’s job meant the family had moved frequently as the children were growing up before he finally settled near Croydon in Surrey.

In 1901 when Alec was eight years old, the family were living at St Mary’s in Elstree, Hertfordshire and all of the children, with the exception of Constance and the two youngest, were at school or university. Alec attended Skinners’ School in Royal Tunbridge Wells and whilst there joined the school’s Officer Training Corps (OTC) which had been founded in 1900.

By 1911 when the family lived in Warlingham near Croydon, Alec as an eighteen-year-old was still in full-time education and the only son still living at home.

Sometime before the start of the War both Alec and his family moved to Hemel Hempstead and were living at “Shurland” at 16 George Street and shortly after he left school, Alec started work as a “Clerk” with the “Ocean Accident and Guarantee Corporation” based in Moorgate Street in London. Two days after the outbreak of war he attested at the Recruitment Office on Duke’s Road, Euston and enlisted with the 1/28th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Artists Rifles) as a Private. This was a battalion of the Territorial Force (TF) and one of twenty-six volunteer battalions in the London and Middlesex areas that had combined in 1908 to form the new London Regiment. The Artists Rifles was a popular unit for volunteers and in 1914 it was formed into three sub-battalions, with recruitment restricted by recommendation from existing members of the battalion. It particularly attracted recruits from public schools and universities; on this basis, following the outbreak of the First World War, a number of enlisted members of The Artists Rifles were selected to be officers in other units.

Following basic training the Battalion moved on mobilisation to the St Albans area and it was from here that Alec was sent overseas and left Southampton on 26th October 1914 disembarking at Le Havre in France. The unit was established as an Officers Training Corps based at Bailleul before it going in April 1915 to St Omer. Alec however, was promoted temporary 2nd Lieutenant and on the 3rd March 2015 was posted to the 2nd Battalion Leicestershire Regiment joining ‘A’ Company part of the Garhwal Brigade of the 7th Indian Division.

Alec arrived just in time to fight in the Battle of Neuve Chapelle in March 1915 and it was following this action that Alec was promoted 2nd Lieutenant on the 23rd March. The Battles of Aubers Ridge and Festubert followed in May and by late September 1915, Alec was with his comrades in support at Pietre, Mauquissart approximately nine miles from Loos.

On the first day of the Battle of Loos the 2nd Leicestershire’s War Diaries record events at Mauquissart as follows: "25th. September 1915…At about 6.10a.m. the left were (sic) over the German parapet and our flag was seen flying on their lines. The left went forward with such dash that they outstripped the 2/3 Gurkhas and came in for a lot of fire from rifles and maxim guns from our right. This caused a good many casualties including all the officers and most of the N.C.O.s of “A” Company which was the extreme left. Undeterred the men went on, got over the uncut wire and reached the road with parties of the 2/8 Gurkhas and gained their objective."

Alec Wilkinson was one of three 2nd Lieutenants listed as “missing and no trace, a fact reported in the Hemel Gazette a week later.

His death was subsequently confirmed officially as “Killed in Action” on Saturday, 25th September 1915.

Alec is Remembered with Honour at the Loos Memorial, Pas de Calais, France on Panel 42 B.

He was 23 years old when he died.

Alec was eligible for the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal.