Alexander undertook pilot training in the USA and Canada following his commission into the RAF. He joined 49 Squadron in July 1943 from where he later moved to 83 Squadron.

Based at RAF Wyton, Cambridgeshire the squadron flew the Avro Lancaster operating as a marker unit [Pathfinder] for the main force of Bomber Command. Alexander had completed a number of sorties over Germany earlier in 1943 when at 17:37 hrs on 26^th November, Lancaster JB459 [OL-T] with a crew of seven took off from RAF Wyton for a raid over Berlin. His aircraft crashed at Seelenberg, 3 km NW of Oberreifenberg in the early hours of Saturday 27^th November 1943.  All onboard lost their lives and they remain buried together alongside one another in the cemetery at Durnbach, Germany. Alexander was aged 21.

The diary entry in the Squadron Operations Book reads:

26.11.43

Ops were on again – a further stage in the Battle of Berlin and we were asked for 14 crews. During the day, preparations proceeded apace and at 5’o clock we were ready for take-off. Then suddenly F/O Hyde’s aircraft “K” blew up on its dispersal point, killing several people and through this F/L Sambidge in “E” was scrubbed. F/O King flying a special aircraft “J” could not get his equipment to operate and he did not take off and the squadron was finally represented by F/L Shipway “C”, F/L Thompson “A”, F/L Tolchard “Z”, P/O Hellier “R”, F/Lt Chcick “S”, P/O Millar “G”, P/O Pidding “M”, F/O Smeaton “T”, F/L Alcock “Q”, P/O Allcroft “F”, and P/O Davies “X”, F/L Thompson and F/L Tolchard had their special equipment u/s and returned early and the remainder pressed on to the Big City. For once the weather over the target was good and crews were very enthusiastic on the result of the night’s work. Fires were burning from the previous raids and were well stoked again, giving the Berliners something to talk about for many a long day. Another blow to the squadron was the non-return of two crews P/O Millar and F/O Smeaton.

27.11.43

Stand down – crews rested in the morning and were given a bus to Cambridge in the evening.

Husband of Josephine Smeaton, son of James & Mary Smeaton of Dunfermline, Scotland.

A copy of this story is available for download here.

Revised: Novcember 2025