More about Alexander Redford

240216/1629 Private Alexander Redford MM

5^th Battalion (Angus & Dundee) Black Watch

Royal Highlanders (T.F)

Alexander (Alex) Redford, the son of William Redford and Maggie Ann Milton, was born on the 6^th September 1895, the second youngest of four boys. His two older brothers being William (Willie) and John (Jack). He also had two younger sisters Isabel and Jayne. One sister, Maggie Ann and one brother, James both died in infancy. He grew up in the Stobswell area of Dundee living at 19 Park Avenue.

His mother died when Alex was five years old; his school attendance was minimal and, as a result, he found himself spending time on the Naval training ship, HMS Mars. Having spent several years on the HMS Mars Naval training ship moored across the other side of the River Tay from Dundee where he learned, amongst other things, a lifelong love for the sea. These lessons stood him in good stead for later life. Moreover, he got the education for which he had avoided in the first place that led to him becoming a “Mars Boy”.

Circa 1912 Alex joined 1/5^th Angus and Dundee Battalion of the Black Watch (Royal Highlanders, T.F.) along with his friends including Andy Ferrie as a means to increase his earnings. His two brothers, Willie and Jack, served in the Army Service Corp and Royal Engineers respectively.

At the outbreak of World War One he found himself along with the 5^th Black Watch as part of the British Army that had been sent to France. He saw active service in France where, as a stretcher bearer, saw action at Auber’s Ridge and Neuve Chappelle amongst others.  It was during this time he was twice mentioned in dispatches from Field Marshal Sir John French and awarded the Military Medal.

In November 1915 he married Elizabeth (Liz) Smith whilst home on leave. Alex and his wife had five children: Mary (May) (1917-1994), Alexander (Alex) (1919-1974), James (Jim) (1923-2001), John (Jack) (1925-1998) and Ronald (Ron) (1932-2004).

Alex and his family lived for many years in the Hilltown area of Dundee at 27 North Ellen Street. They moved to West Kirkton in the 1950s then finally moving to Fintry in the 1960s. His wife died in 1970.

Alex had a varied working life. Following the war during the 1920s and 1930s, work was, at times, challenging to find. In order to get work Alex would travel far and wide in order to get work to take care of his family whilst his wife also worked in the Jute Mills of Dundee.

He had a career as a seaman where his work took him to far off places including Russia during the Russian Civil War in the early 1920s having worked on a ship taking a cargo from the Falkland Islands to Russia via the northly route that would be used by the Artic convoys during World War Two. At one point in order to find work he travelled far as Glasgow where he found work on the newly built ships on the Clyde which took him as far as Australia. In this one instance to get home he merely took work on another ship travelling from Australia to Vancouver, Canada. He then crossed Canada by train and then on to New York where he found work on another ship heading to Liverpool before working on ships/boats from Liverpool to London then back to Dundee. He also worked for the Dundee Perth & London (DP&L) Shipping Company, a Dundee based shipping company working the routes between Dundee and London. In later in life he worked at Rob Caledon shipyard in Dundee.

Alex initially retired to take care of his wife. He returned to work part time following his wife’s death finally retiring at the age of 75.

Alex never talked of his time in the trenches. His family never knew what he did during the war nor what had had done to win the Military Medal (MM). In his early nineties he talked a little of his wartime experiences and what life was like in the trenches, “going over the top”, “sniping at the Germans”, witnessing the Christmas Truce of 1914 and working as a stretcher bearer. It for the latter he was awarded the MM following being mentioned in dispatches twice. The first time on the 31^st May 1915 and the second on the 30^th November the same year.

In 1990 Alex met up one last time with his old friend and fellow “Old Contemptible” Andy Ferrie with whom he went out to France with in 1914. It was during that meeting that Andy told how his friend Sandy, as Andy called him, earned his Military Medal for bravery by going out into No Man’s Land to rescue a wounded officer whilst under fire.

Alex had a very active life only slowing down when he reached his early 90s following two minor strokes. He finally moved to Janet Brougham House in the late 1980s. Alex finally succumbed to old age on 6^th September 1991 four days short of his 96^th birthday.

Alexander Redford  M.M.    1629   Black Watch

GALLANT DUNDEE SOLDIER

Who is a Winner of Military Medal.

A Dundee man belonging to the Black Watch figured prominently in the latest list of soldiers who have been awarded the Military Medal for acts of gallantry.

Private A. Redford is the son of Mr and Mrs William Redford, 19 Park Avenue, and one of three soldier brothers.  Private Redford, who has also the honour of having been twice mentioned in despatches had about eighteen months’ spell of active service, but for some time back he has been employed in munition work.  He is 21 years of age, and prior to the war was associated with the Territorial movement.  He went to the front with the first of the Territorial battalions from Scotland to go on active service.  One of his brothers is Company-Sergeant-Major William Redford, A.S.C., and another is John Redford, Royal Engineers.

Dundee Courier 13th October 1916