Roll of Honour

Alexander Simpson’s death is recorded as 9^th July 1917 when he was serving on HMS Calliope. However, the ship was hit  on the 12^th July 1917 by German by submarine U-155 some 150 miles north of Maderia with all 27 hands posted as missing. Alexander was presumed drowned three days before she sunk.The Findagrave index says that 2^nd Engineer Alexander Simpson was born 3^rd February 1880 at Kintore, Aberdeenshire. The deaths at sea records show Alexander as born Inverurie and another record as Port Elphinstone Aberdeenshire.

The 1881 Scotland census shows Alexander at 1 Woodbine Cottage, Kintore, Aberdeenshire, with his family, parents, John and Mary and siblings Jane Ann 5 and Mary 3. Alexander is 1.

By 1891 The family are at Chrichie Labs Cottage, Kintore with four additional children, William 8, Lizzie 7, Alice 5 and John C 3.

 It is possible that in 1901 he was at  21 Caroline Street, Jarrow .There is as a Shipyard Engine Fitter of that name born in Aberdeen , Scotland at the address.

Alexander Reid Simpson married Gertrude Randall in 1916 in Hartlepool and Gertrude was born 19^th April 1885 in Hartlepool .

 Alexander and Gertrude had one child, a son, Alexander Reid Simpson, birth registered in the March quarter 1917, Hartlepool . The 1939 Register shows Gertrude Simpson living at 2 Elmwood Road, West Hartlepool and someone else who is blacked out but it’s probably Alexander. Alexander Reid Simpson married Jenny Nicholson at St. Luke’s Church, by licence in December 1944 as reported in the Hartlepool Mail dated 14^thDecember 1944. Alexander was serving in the Royal Engineers and Jenny Nicholson in the WAAF.

At the time of her husband's death, Gertrude was informed at the family home in Wilson St, West Hartlepool