Background
He was born in Stotfield, Lossiemouth, Morayshire. He was the son of a fisherman and became a cooper working in the herring fishery.
He was born in Stotfield, Lossiemouth, Morayshire. He was the son of a fisherman and became a cooper working in the herring fishery.
He served with the 1/6th (Morayshire) Bn, the Seaforth Highlanders, 51st Highland Division and joined the battalion at Elgin in July 1914. On the 21 March 1918 the Germans began the ferocious Kaiserschlacht spring offensive and on 24 March, Edwards was killed and missing in action at Bapaume Wood, east of Arras, France. Foreign three days the Division fought in trenches, then for two days fought stubborn rear-guard actions.
During those critical days of March the casualties of the Division numbered 219 officers and 4,666 other ranks, of which 2,714 were missing.
Serjeant Edwards is commemorated at Bay 8 on the Arras Memorial. He is named on a Roll of Honour with the Lodge as follows: "Sergt.
Alex. Edwards Victoria Cross ⅛ Seaforth Highlanders.
After Colonel Gair drew aside the Union Jack, R.W.M. (Right Worshipful Master) A. Knight read out the names. In his address Colonel Gair referred to the late Sergeant Alex.
Edwards, of the Seaforth Victoria Cross, and said one of the memories he retained of France was how, on many a disagreeable and stiff night, Sergeant Edwards used to meet him with a cheerful smile. When the local battalion of the Seaforths was being formed they from Lossiemouth a splendid detachment, who could not be excelled in their gallantry.
Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
Scotland"s Forgotten Valour (Graham Ross, 1995)
VCs of the First World War - Passchendaele 1917 (Stephen Snelling, 1998).
Edwards was a Freemason being a member of Lodge Pitgaveny, Number.681, (Lossiemouth, Moray, Scotland).