Rifleman Alec Frederick Bond
| Date of Birth | 1898 |
|---|---|
| Age at Death | 22 |
| Date of Death | 2 April 1920 |
| Service Number | 554697 |
| Military Service | Queen's Own Royal Westminster Rifles Regiment |
| Merton Address | |
| Local Memorial | Morden Cemetery |
Additional Information
Born in Battersea in December 1898, Alec was the only son of Alexander Bond and his Somerset born wife, Annie (nee Mears.) The couple also had two daughters, Florence and Alice. During the early 1900s the Bond family lived at 52 Kelmscott Road, Wandsworth Common and Alec’s father worked as a foreman decorator in a painting firm.
After leaving school, Alec was employed as a warehouseman. In February 1917, he enlisted in the army and became a rifleman in the 16th Battalion, County of London Regiment (also known as the Queen’s Westminster Rifles). He was then 17 years and 11 months of age (just one month short of the official enlistment age).
Alec and his regiment fought in several major battles during the latter stages of the war. These would have included assaults on retreating German forces near the Hindenburg Line; the Battle of Langemarck (August 1917) and the Battle of Cambrai (November 1917). During 1918 the men also saw action on the Somme and took part in the Second Battle of Arras, in addition to the final advance in Picardy. Following the Armistice, they were involved in road and railway repairs in the Harveng area near Mons, Belgium.
The 16th Battalion was finally demobbed in May 1919. Sadly Alec died on 2 April 1920. It is not clear whether this was due to illness, or a result of injuries sustained during the war. He is buried in Morden Cemetery, Lower Morden Lane.