Alexander Frederick Littlewood

A Private with 10th Battalion Suffolk Regiment, Alexander died on 1st of January 1918 at the age of 37. 

Alexander was born at Lingwood in 1880, a son of Mary Ann (Marion) Littlewood. The 1881 Census records Alexander, and his mother, being inmates at Lingwood Workhouse. By 1891 Alexander was living at 6 Hervey Street, Lowestoft, with his grandmother, Ann Littlewood, and Alexander worked as a hawker- news (boy). In 1901 Alexander worked as a labourer, in London, and lodged at 24 Longfellows Road, Mile End. 

Alexander married Eva Clara Holland, at Saint Margaret's Church, Lowestoft, on 9 November 1902. At that time Alexander was living at 29 Tonning Street and working as a labourer (Note Alexander's aunt Annie Dunnett lived at 29 Tonning Street and in 1911 his mother also lived there). By 1911 Alexander, Eva, and family, were living at 43 Old Nelson Street, and Alexander was a general labourer working for Lowestoft Corporation. 

Alexander was working as a labourer, and living at 213 Raglan Street, when he enlisted in the Army, at Lowestoft, on 8 September 1914. On 12 September 1914 he was posted to the 9th Battalion Suffolk Regiment. Alexander arrived in France on 31 August 1915. 

On 27 September 1915, during a bombardment, Alexander began to show signs of neurasthenia and shell-shock. It seems that his condition worsened and Alexander returned to England on 5 November 1915. He was posted to the strength of the Depot, but he was actually admitted to Queen Alexandra's Military Hospital Extension when he underwent treatment for neurasthenia until 2 December 1915, when he was admitted to Southwark Military Hospital. On 13 January 1916 Alexander was discharged from hospital, but on 25 January 1916 he was admitted to Colchester Military Hospital, where he was treated for nervous debility. He was transferred to No 4 General Hospital, London, on 4 March 1916, still suffering from shell-shock. Technically Alexander had been on the strength on the 10th Battalion, from 23 January 1916, but does not appear to have actually served with the Battalion. He was discharged, medically unfit, on 26 July 1916. 

A medical board, in April 1916, had determined that Alexander's condition was attributable to his war service and that he would probably not be fit to work for 12 months, with the expectation of total incapacity for six months and limited capacity for the following six months. He was granted a pension based on this assessment. Further assessments, in 1917, found that Alexander still had only 50 capacity to work and his pension was extended to cover the period to May 1918. 

By 20 June 1917 Alexander, Eva, and family, were living at 48 Southwell Road, Lowestoft, and Alexander wrote to the Army to request the Silver War Badge that he was entitled to because he was discharged on medical grounds. 

Alexander died on 1 January 1918. Army pension records show that his cause of death was neuresthania and shell-shock caused by his war service.