Roll of Honour

Hartlepool seafarers lost at sea

Sharp, Alexander

Rank(s) : Stoker 1st Class

Address : 50, Northumberland Street, West Hartlepool

Town/Country of birth : West Hartlepool

Date of birth : 1899

Date of death : 13/4/1918

Alexander Sharp was born in West Hartlepool in early 1899 and was the 4th of William and Margaret Sharp's eight children. William had been born in Eaglescliffe about 1870 and Margaret two years later in Stockton on Tees. The 1911 census shows them in Sarah St and all eight children were born in West Hartlepool where William was a labourer in the paper mills.

It appears that Alexander joined the Durham Light Infantry on 3rd September 1914 and served in the Expeditionary Force in France from August to November 1915. However he was discharged on 1st December 1915 as he had given a false statement about his age and was only 16 years 251 days. We do find from his Army Pension records that he was 5 feet 4 and a half inches tall, had blue eyes and fair hair. His father's name and the Northumberland Street address are given on the papers.

Alexander must have then joined the navy but was lost on HMS Dreel Castle. This vessel served as a Depot Ship at Falmouth for the Falmouth, Penzance and Scillies Patrols. It is recorded that Alexander was carried out to sea in an open boat and was found dead on April 13th, 1918. His body was not recovered and his name can be found on the Plymouth Memorial.

His mother, Margaret Sharp of 50, Northumberland Street, West Hartlepool was informed of her son's death. An alternative address is given as 21, Longmore Street, West Hartlepool.