Background
Alexander was born on 17 May 1911. He was the son of Major General H. L. Alexander, Central Bank, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Defence Science Organisation, and Dorothy Alexander.
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Henry Alexander
Edit ProfileGeneral instructor army officer
Education
He was educated at Sedbergh School, Yorkshire, then an all-boys public school. On 27 August 1931, having attended the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, Alexander was commissioned into the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) as a second lieutenant.
Career
He was promoted in 1934 as a lieutenant. In 1939, he was promoted to the rank of Captain. He then served as an instructor at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst for two years.
Between 1939 and 1945, he saw action in the Second World War in North Africa, Italy, India, Burma, and North West Europe.
He was promoted Major in 1943 and Commanding Officer, 2 Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) in Italy in 1944. He has also served as Chief Instructor, School of Combined Operations, 1946–1947 and General Staff Officer 1 first at Hong Kong, 1948–1950, then at Camberley, Surrey.
Alexander became a Colonel in 1954 and was appointed Commanding Officer, 1 Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) between 1954 and 1955 and he also commanded 26 Gurkha Infantry Brigade between 1955 and 1957. Between 1958 and 1960, he served as Senior Instructor, Staff College, Camberley, Surrey, Brigade General Staff, Department of the Chief of the Imperial General Staff, War Office and at the Imperial Defence College.
Between 1960 and 1961, he worked with the Ghana Armed Forces as Chief of Defence Staff.
During that period, he commanded the Ghanaian contingent of Operation des Nations Unies au Congo, the United Nations force in the newly independent Congo. Upon the initial Congolese request for assistance, before the approval for deployment of United Nations forces, Alexander flew into Leopoldville with a single Ghanaian platoon. The Ghanaian troops were subsequently "re-hatted" as United Nations forces rather than under bilateral terms, and augmented.
Alexander retired in 1965.
In 1968 he served as an Observer with the International Observer Team on Genocide in Nigeria. 1943 - Administration Member of the Order of the British Empire.
Achievements
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Born
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Died
March 16, 1977 (aged 65) -
Nationality
United Kingdom