Alexander McNab was killed in action on this day in 1917
Alexander McNab was born in Burnley, Lancashire on 24 September 1890.
His parents were Alexander (a blacksmith from Argyllshire) and Janet (née Wardrop from Stirlingshire) McNab.
At the 1891 Census the family lived at 20 Buck St, Burnley. This included his older brother William (aged 2) and Alexander who was at the time aged six months.
By the 1911 census there were ten children in the family. All of those 12 years or over now worked in the local cotton mill. The family of twelve lived in the four roomed 74 Briercliffe Road, Burnley.
Before the war Alexander worked at West's Mill, Harle Syke but had enlisted into the 3rd East Lancs at Blackburn in 1911 and was in camp at Workington when news of the outbreak of war came through. Immediately mobilised into service, he arrived in France on 26 August 1914 and joined the 1st Bn East Lancs during the retreat from Mons.
After serving through the Battles of the Marne and the Aisne, he was wounded in action during 2nd Battle of Ypres and invalided home. After recovering in hospital in Sheffield, he returned to the front, this time with the 2nd Battalion, with whom he served through the Battle of the Somme and then at the Third Battle of Ypres. He was killed in action on 22 November 1917.
His remains never having been suitably identified, Alexander's name now appears on the Tyne Cot Memorial.
The value of the WFA's Pension Records can be seen from the image below - this tells us that he had two brothers, both of whom were also killed in the Great War.
5181 Pte Alexander McNab, 2nd Bn East Lancashire Regt