Lieutenant Colonel Percy Norman Alexander, MC, VD was born in Toronto on 8 May 1894, one of five sons of John Alexander and Harriet Cross. One of his brothers was Regimental Sergeant Major Gordon Ross Alexander, who died of illness in 1943 while posted in England during WWII. Percy attended Wellesley School from 1900 to 1908.

He joined The Queen’s Own Rifles as a Rifleman in April 1911 and had progressed to Sergeant when the First World War broke out.

In September 1914 he joined the 3rd Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force and

On 7 June 1924 he married Frances Louise Westren. They did not have any children.

Service Record:

• 10 Apr 1911 – Enlisted as a Rifleman with the QOR
• 31 Mar 1913 – Promoted Corporal
• 8 Oct 1913 – Promoted Sergeant
• 22 Sep 1914 – Enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force as a private with the 3rd Battalion.
• 30 Oct 1915 – Commissioned as a Lieutenant in the CEF
• update war service
• 22 Jan 1919 – Discharged from CEF and returned to The Queen’s Own Rifles.
• 1 Oct 1920 – Promoted to Major
• 1923 – Appointed Second in Command of 1st Battalion
• 1927 – Awarded the Colonial Auxiliary Forces Long Service Medal
• 19 Dec 1927 – Promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and appointed Commanding Officer of the 1st Battalion
• 7 Dec 1929 – Relinquished command
• 25 Dec 1930 – Appointed Paymaster of 1st Battalion
• 1931 – Awarded the Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officer’s Decoration (VD)
• 1 May 1935 (likely) – Resigned as Paymaster 1st Battalion and appointed Commanding Officer of 4th Reserve Battalion
• 1937 – Likely transferred to the Corps of Reserve Officers as the Reserve battalions seemed to have been amalgamated into the “Reserve Regimental Depot” by this time.
• 12 Jul 1940 – Transferred back to the 2nd Battalion (Non-Permanent Active Militia) as a Major in command of A Company
• 10 Mar 1941 – Took medical examination in order to join the Active Service Force (for WWII) but because of his WWI injuries, was categorized as B1 and appears to have continued with the 2nd Battalion (NPAM)
• 15 Nov 1942 – Transferred to the Corps Reserve of Officers with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel