Alexander Robert John Timoney

A Private with 1st Battalion, Alexander died on 4th of November 1914 at the age of 18. 

Alexander was born on 11 April 1896, a son of Robert John and Ada Violet Gertrude Timoney. He was baptised at Saint Peter's Church, Kirkley, on 1 May 1896 and his family lived at 92 Saint Leonard's Road. By 1901 his family were living at 135 London Road and, subsequently, at 14 Halcyon Crescent Lowestoft.

Alexander was working as an engineer when he volunteered to join the Army. He enlisted at Kirkley on 12 February 1913, joining the Norfolk Regiment with service number 8844. Alexander was following in his father's footsteps as Robert had served in the Royal Artillery for 16 years. 

Alexander would have completed his initial training at the Regimental Depot at Norwich before being posted to the 1st Battalion at Belfast. His Battalion was mobilized on 4 August 1914 and they landed at Le Havre on 16 August 1914 as part of 15 Brigade 5 Division. Alexander served with C Company. 

On 24 August the 1st Battalion were involved in the Battle of Mons and they had to form the rearguard to cover their Division's retreat. In a letter to his parents, printed after his death, Alexander wrote about that battle: 

'The odds were so much against us that we were forced to retire. Our Captain, who was a brave man, held our company still on the line, with a Brigade of German infantry, about 4,000 men, within 300 yards of our position. Then we got the order to open fire, but when we got on top of the bank the hails of bullets was so great that we had to scramble down the bank again and retire for our lives. . . How we ever got out of it I don't know properly. . . We have been in action four times since then.' 

(Lowestoft Journal 5 December 1914 page 5)

On 3 November 1914 the 1st Battalion were in trenches at Festubert alongside soldiers from the 8th Gurkha Rifles. The Battalion War Diary for 4 November 1914 reads: 'Trouble form German bombs and mines. Captain Buchanan, 8th Gurkhas killed, Lieutenant Boosey and 2nd Lieutenant Papworth wounded.'  

Four 'other ranks', including Alexander, were killed in action on 4 November 1914. None of them are buried in marked graves and all are commemorated on the Le Touret Memorial.