Lieutenant-Colonel Leigh Arbuthnot Alexander (4 July 1898 – 28 April 1943) was a

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

officer and cricketer.

Early life

Alexander was the son of Major William Alexander and Ethel Rubina Arbuthnot and brother of Gilbert Alexander. He was born at

Umzinto eMuziwezinto, previously and still commonly known as Umzinto, is a town located approximately 40 kilometres (23 miles) south-west of Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. It was a sugarcane growing town, that was set up as the centre for a sugar mill. Before D ...

Colony of Natal The Colony of Natal was a British colony in south-eastern Africa. It was proclaimed a British colony on 4 May 1843 after the British government had annexed the Boer Republic of Natalia, and on 31 May 1910 combined with three other colonies t ...

, South Africa.

Military career

Alexander joined the Gurkhas on 11 May 1917 during the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

and first saw service on the North West Frontier. He was commissioned into the

British Indian Army The Indian Army was the force of British Raj, British India, until Indian Independence Act 1947, national independence in 1947. Formed in 1895 by uniting the three Presidency armies, it was responsible for the defence of both British India and ...

on the 27 October 1917. He was promoted to Captain in 1922 and to Major in 1935. In the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

he commanded the 3rd Battalion,

2nd Gurkha Rifles The 2nd King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles (The Sirmoor Rifles) was a rifle regiment of the British Indian Army before being transferred to the British Army on India's independence in 1947. The 4th Battalion joined the Indian Army as the 5th Bat ...

, and took part in the 1st Chindit expedition, a deep penetration raid behind Japanese lines, with the 77th Indian Infantry Brigade, when he died during the operation. His is buried in

Taukkyan War Cemetery The Taukkyan War Cemetery () is a cemetery for Allied soldiers from the British Commonwealth who died in battle in Burma during the Second World War. The cemetery is in the village of Taukkyan, about north of Yangon on Pyay Road. It is maintaine ...

.CWGC entry
/ref>

Cricket

He played first-class

cricket Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...

in three matches in the 1920s.

References

External links

* 1898 births 1943 deaths People from uMdoni Local Municipality White South African people Indian Army personnel killed in World War II Royal Gurkha Rifles officers South African cricketers Europeans cricketers Indian Army personnel of World War I Burials at Taukkyan War Cemetery Cricketers from KwaZulu-Natal Military personnel from KwaZulu-Natal {{SouthAfrica-cricket-bio-1890s-stub