L/Bdr Alexander G Tallentire MM

868214 - "C" Battery, 4th Regiment Royal Horse Artillery

Born November 1917 Penrith

Died 6 June 1942, Egypt (Age 24)

Son of Alexander Gordon Annie Elizabeth (nee Simpson) Tallentire

Alexander Gordon Tallentire was born around November 1917 in the Penrith registration district. He was the fourth son of Alexander Gordon Tallentire (Senior) and his wife Annie Elizabeth (nee Simpson). His father was working as a Farm Hand in Maunby, near Thirsk in Yorkshire at the time of the 1911 census. The family seem to have moved around, probably to find work, as their children were each born in a different area. We know they lived in Whitehaven for a while around 1920 but had moved to Greenside Cottages, Glenridding by 1940, as both his father and brother John Richard are listed as employees of the Greenside mine.

We do not know exactly when Alexander enlisted or was 'called up'. We do know that by mid 1940, he was a Lance Bombadier, in Mersa Matruh, Egypt, with 'C' Battery 4th Regiment Royal Horse Artillery, so to have obtained a promotion (one stripe) it is likely that he would have been in the Regiment for several months (probably joining late 1939/early 1940). The 4th Regiment Royal Horse Artillery was formed at Helmieh in Egypt in May 1939 and was equipped with the 25-pounder Mk VP guns.

When Italy declared war in June 1940, the British Army was heavily outnumbered by the Italians, so British Commander-in-Chief, the famous General (The Earl) Archibald Wavell, formulated a plan with his senior commanders to retain the initiative by harassing the enemy using mobile all-arms flying columns. It was 'C' Battery, under Lt. Col. 'Jock' Campbell's brilliant command of one of these columns, that led to them being given the generic name 'Jock columns'. During one of these actions, on the 15th and 16th June 1940, that Alexander's courage and devotion to duty led his Commanding Officer to recommend the award of the Military Medal.

The award was finally announced on the 1st April 1941 in the London Gazette.

This is the citation written by Lt.Col. Jock Campbell. It is finally approved by the General Archibald Wavell.

On the 8th December 1940, 4th Regiment RHA fired the opening rounds against the Italians at Sidi Barrani, before advancing westwards, as part of the 7th Armoured Division, and saw action again in January 1941 at Bardia, the capture of Tobruk and at Beda Fomm.

The CWGC Certificate records that Alexander died on the 6th June 1942, which suggests hat he was killed during the Battle of Gazala, which was fought around the port of Tobruk in Libya from the 26th May to the 21st June 1942. The combatants on the Axis side were the Panzer Army Afrika, consisting of German and Italian units and commanded by the "Desert Fox" Colonel-General Erwin Rommel; the Allied forces were the Eighth Army, commanded by Lieutenant-General Neil Ritchie under the close supervision of the new Commander-in-Chief Middle East, General Sir Claude Auchinleck. The battle eventually led to an allied defeat and the loss of Tobruk.

Lance Bombadier Alexander Tallentire is remembered and commemorated on The Patterdale War Memorial and The Alamein Memorial, Egypt (Column 5). The letter to the left, dated January 1943, is the invitation to his father and mother to attend the posthumous investiture service for Alexander’s Military Medal. The War Office even graciously provided a third class return rail warrant for their journey.

His father, Alexander Gordon Tallentire (Senior), was born in Edenhall, near Penrith around May 1885. He married Annie Elizabeth Simpson in the East Ward registration district of Westmorland around November 1908. He died around February 1964 in the Penrith registration district at the age of 78. Annie Elizabeth was born in Morland, Westmorland around August 1887.

His eldest brother, Isaac William Tallentire, was born on the 12th August 1909 in Milburn, Westmorland. He married Evelyn Strand in Whitehaven in early 1936 and died there on the 5th April 1977 aged 67.

Older brother Aaron Harrison Tallentire was born around January 1911 in Maunby, near Thirsk in Yorkshire. He married Rebecca J Hill around August 1938 in Penrith and died there around May 1964 aged 53.

His brother John Richard Tallentire was born in the Auckland registration district around May 1913. He married Evelyn Mary Voletti at St Patrick's Church, Patterdale on the 1st March 1941.

His younger, and only sister, Gladys May Tallentire was born on the 28th June 1920 in Whitehaven, Cumberland. She married Robert Iredale Dawes, a Grocery Traveller, around May 1941 in South Westmorland but they moved to Glenridding soon afterwards, first living at Greenside (probably with her parents) and then at Greystones, Glenridding, They were still there when Robert died on the 26th June 1977 and when Gladys died, perhaps in Carlisle Infirmary, on the 13th February 1984. They are both buried in St Patrick's Churchyard.

If you can provide any further information on the story of Alexander or his family please contact us.

Quad and 25-pounder in action in the desert

Alexander’s death as reported in The Herald