Alexander George Dean (1890 - 1917)

Born 19 Aug 1890 in Forres, Morayshire, Scotland, United Kingdom

Died 12 Dec 1917 at age 27 in Bruay-en-Artois, Pas-de-Calais, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France

Biography

Sapper Sgt Alexander Dean was Killed in Action during World War I.

Sgt Alexander Dean served in the Canadian Expeditionary Force in World War I
Service started: 19 Aug 1916
Unit(s): 1st Field Company
Service ended: 12 Dec 1917

From Moray Libindx Lived In Canada Occupation Draper Served In the Canadian Engineers

Commonwealth War Graves Commission Information

Sapper DEAN, A G Service Number 505785 Died 12/12/1917 Aged 28 1st Field Coy. Canadian Engineers Son of Robert and Lexy Dean, of Forres, Morayshire, Scotland.

Buried at BRUAY COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION Location: Pas de Calais, France Number of casualties: 441 Cemetery/memorial reference: L. 26.

Directions Bruay is a large village in the Department of the Pas-de-Calais, 6 kilometres south-west of Bethune and 26 kilometres north-west of Arras. Leave Bruay on the N.41 (Bethune/St Pol road). Turn right where signposts indicate Lens/Calonne-Riquart. After 400 metres turn right again, sign Cimetiere Ouest. Continue up the hill past the minor memorial. The cemetery is found after one kilometre on the right hand side. The Commonwealth plot is in the far right hand corner.

History The extension to the communal cemetery was begun by French troops in October 1914, on land belonging to the Compagnie des Mines de Bruay. When the French Tenth Army handed over this part of the line to Commonwealth forces in March 1916, the 22nd Casualty Clearing Station, which was established at Bruay, continued to bury in it. Nearly half the burials in the extension are from the Canadian Corps who occupied this sector from early in 1917. There are now 412 Commonwealth burials of the First World War in the extension. The Commonwealth plots, which were designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, also contain some French and German war graves

Canadian Engineers

One of the first tasks completed by the engineers after the declaration of war upon Germany in 1914 was for the rapid development of the Valcartier training site in Quebec. At its peak size 30,000 men were stationed here before the 1st Canadian Division was deployed to England. When the 1st Division arrived on the front in Belgium they were accompanied by field companies of the Canadian Engineers (men recruited into the service after the start of the war were part of the Militia branch and not the regulars). These troops were responsible for construction of defences, sanitation systems, water supplies, bridging, and assisting with trench raids. Canadian Engineers also served in the Middle East fighting the Turks. One of the most important functions of the Sappers in the war was to dig tunnels for mines underneath enemy trenches, with which to plant explosives to destroy them. At the Battle of Vimy Ridge, and particularly at the Battle of Messines, several such mines were used to win the battle. The Canadian Military Engineers contributed three tunnelling companies to the British Expeditionary Force: 1st Canadian Tunnelling Company, 2nd Canadian Tunnelling Company and 3rd Canadian Tunnelling Company. One was formed from men on the battlefield, while two other companies first trained in Canada and were then shipped to France. In the war the only Victoria Cross the Canadian Engineers ever received was earned by Captain C. N. Mitchell for actions on 8 October 1918 at Canal de I'Escaut, north-east of Cambrai. In total, more than 40,000 Canadians served as Engineers in the war, with 14,000 on the front on the last day of the war.

Sources

• http://libindx.moray.gov.uk/subjects/subject_people_report_view.asp?REF_ID=NM039759

• https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/492488/dean,

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Military_Engineers

See also:

• Clunyhill Cemetery Table of Graves
• Find A Grave memorial https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/182947741/alexander-g-dean