Bill Alexander (politician)

Alexander was the son of a carpenter, born into a large working-class family in the rural English town of Ringwood, Hampshire.[2] Influenced by both his mother's political beliefs and the British National Hunger March of 1932, Alexander joined the CPGB in 1932. Alexander studied chemistry at the University of Reading, then became an industrial chemist, however much of his time was spent promoting communism through the CPGBand working within trade unions.[2] He was a prominent anti-fascist activist and was present at the Battle of Cable Street.[4][5][6]

In spring of 1937, Alexander volunteered to join the British Battalion of the International Brigades to aid the Republic in the Spanish Civil War. Arriving in Spain, Alexander first saw combat during the Battle of Brunete. After a fortnight of fighting, his battalion went from a strength of 300 to 42, with Alexander being one of the survivors.[7] Alexander joined the 15th Brigade's Anti-Tank Battery, an elite unit armed with high-calibre Soviet anti-tank weaponry.[3] Alexander soon became the unit's political commissar,[8] and received a citation for bravery at the Battle of Belchite in September 1937.[3] Alexander eventually rose to the rank of commander of the British Battalion and led his troops into combat during the Battle of Teruel. During this battle, Alexander sustained serious bullet wounds to his chest and shoulder.[4] Due to his injuries, he returned to the UK in June 1938.[3]

Once Alexander had returned to Britain from Spain, he was made the CPGB's Merseyside Area secretary.[3] He attempted to join the Sandhurst Military Academy early in World War II, initially being refused a place on account of his CPGB membership. However, his case was taken up by the Duchess of Atholl and he was eventually permitted to attend. In 1940 he accepted his commissioning course at Sandhurst, from which graduated as the top cadet of his year.[3] During World War II, Alexander served the Allied forces in Africa and Europe. Despite communists such as himself suffering persistant discrimination within the British military,[4] Alexander rose to the rank of captain within the Reconnaissance Corps.[3][9] After leaving the British Army, Alexander returned to working as a full-time activist for the CPGB.

Alexander stood in Coventry East at the 1945 and 1951 general elections, but lost his deposit on both occasions. He was Midlands Area Secretary of the CPGB from 1947 to 1953, then Welsh Area Secretary until 1959, when he was made Assistant General Secretary of the party.[4] In 1967, Alexander stood down from his CPGB post, and instead became a chemistry teacher at Sydenham School, and taught chemistry in south-east London until his retirement.[3] After retirement, he was involved with the Marx Memorial Library, holding its presidency from 1989 until 1996. He ran the International Brigade Association, and wrote extensively on the Spanish Civil War, publishing British Volunteers For Liberty, No To Franco and contributing to Memorials Of The Spanish Civil War.[4]

Alexander remained a member of the CPGB until the party's dissolution and was prominent in opposition to what he regarded as revisionism during the 1980s.[5] During the 1990s, he spoke in favour of environmental causes.[9]

British Volunteers For Liberty. Lawrence and Wishart, UK, 1982.

No To Franco: The Struggle Never Stopped 1939-1975. B. Alexander, 1992.

Memorials Of The Spanish Civil War. Sutton, UK, 1996.