Personal Details | |
Date of Birth | April 6, 1887 |
Place of Birth | Kenora, Ontario |
Country | Canada |
Marital Status | Single |
Next of Kin | George Glover (father), Grand Forks, North Dakota |
Trade / Calling | Teamster |
Religion | Church of England |
Service Details | |
Regimental Number | 622370 |
Service Record | Link to Service Record |
Battalion | 27th Battalion |
Force | Canadian Expeditionary Force |
Branch | Canadian Infantry |
Enlisted / Conscripted | Enlisted |
Place of Enlistment | Winnipeg, Manitoba |
Date of Enlistment | May 14, 1915 |
Age at Enlistment | 28 |
Theatre of Service | Europe |
Prisoner of War | No |
Survived War | No |
Death Details | |
Date of Death | June 30, 1916 |
Age at Death | 29 |
Buried At | Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, Belgium |
Plot | VIII. B. 30A |
Private Alexander Glover enlisted in May 1915 and served overseas with the 27th (City of Winnipeg) Battalion. He died of wounds in June 1916, at age 29.
Alex (aka Alfred Charles) was born on 6 April 1887 in Rat Portage, Ontario. His birth name was registered as Alfred Charles Glover and his parents were David George Glover, a contractor, and Charlotte Donald. He had an older brother George Jr. who was born in 1885 in St. Andrew’s Manitoba. George Jr. died in Rat Portage (later called Kenora) in February 1886, at age five months. Sometime after Alex was born the family unit broke up and his mother moved to Winnipeg. She suffered from alcoholism and she was frequently incarcerated. When the 1891 census was taken Alex/Alfred was living with John and Ann McCorrister in St. Clements, Manitoba, listed as their adopted son. At the time of the 1901 census he was living with John and Nancy McCorrister (possibly the same couple) in Selkirk, Manitoba, recorded as their nephew. Nancy’s maiden surname was Donald.
Alex enlisted in Winnipeg on 14 May 1915, signing up with the 44th (Manitoba) Battalion. He was 28 years old by then and working as a teamster. Next of kin was his father George Glover in Grand Forks, North Dakota. After training at Camp Sewell over the summer the battalion headed to the east coast in the fall, passing through Kenora on 18 October. They embarked from Halifax on 22 October on the SS Lapland and arrived in the UK eight days later.
In December Alex was ill with bronchitis and he spent a few days in the hospital. Afterwards he served some time in detention for creating a disturbance in the barracks and not obeying an order. On 3 February 1916 he was transferred to the 11th Reserve Battalion and in April he served more detention time for being absent without leave. After training for three months with the reserve unit he was transferred to the 27th (City of Winnipeg) Battalion and sent to France, arriving there in early May. He joined his new unit in the Ypres Salient on 2 June, the first day of the Battle of Mount Sorrel. The 27th Battalion moved forward a few days later and served as a reserve and support unit for about a week. The battle ended on 13 June with little change to the front line but at a cost of 8,000 Canadian casualties.
After the battle the Canadians stayed in the Ypres Salient, holding the line and carrying out patrols and raids. The 27th Battalion relieved a British regiment in the trenches on 20 June. The rotation lasted until 28 June and there were about 30 casualties for the unit during the eight days. Alex was wounded on the last day, 28 June, suffering a shell or gun shot wound to his head, resulting in a fractured skull. He was evacuated to No. 3 Casualty Clearing Station and he died there two days later, on 30 June. He’s buried in Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, which is about 10 km west of Ypres.
His mother Charlotte continued to live in Winnipeg and she passed away at home in August 1925, at age 58. She’s buried in Brookside Cemetery.
Alex is commemorated on the Next of Kin Monument, located on the grounds of the Manitoba Legislative Building in Winnipeg. He’s also commemorated on page 92 of Canada’s First World War Book of Remembrance, on display in the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
By Becky Johnson
Photo at the top is the Next of Kin Monument in Winnipeg.