Carlisle, Alexander

Lance Corporal

No. 6984668, 70^th Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers

Died as the result of enemy action on Wednesday 16 April 1941 (aged 19)

No known grave

Commemorated:

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Brookwood 1939-1945 Memorial, Surrey, England (Panel 11 Column 2)

Second World War Memorial in Ballymena Memorial Park

Connor Presbyterian Church War Memorial

BIOGRAPHY

Lance Corporal Alexander Carlisle (No. 6984668) was one of 13 soldiers serving with the 70^th Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers who died as the result of an air raid on Newtownards aerodrome during the night of 15/16 April 1941.

Between 10.45 pm on Easter Tuesday 15 April and 4.30 am on Wednesday 16 April 1941 there was a large-scale German Luftwaffe air raid on the City of Belfast.  Other nearby towns and villages, including Bangor and Newtownards, were also attacked.  Areas of Bangor where bombs fell included Ashley Gardens, Bangor Golf Clubhouse, Baylands, Farnham Road, Hazeldene Gardens and Ranfurly Avenue.  Fires blazed on Scrabo Hill, Newtownards and bombs fell on Green Road, Conlig and Comber Road, Newtownards.  At least 30 people with North Down and Ards connections were killed, including the following 16 civilians.

• Matilda Grattan together with her daughters Angeline Grattan and Shelagh Grattan who died at 40 Ashley Gardens in Bangor.
• Margaret Byers Watt who died at 5 Hazeldene Gardens in Bangor.
• Robert Wright of 32 Baylands, Bangor who died of his injuries in Bangor Hospital.
• Edith, Henry, Isabella, and William Dunwoody; Nancy Simms Gribbin; Thomas Morton; Bessie, Ellen Ogle, and Evelyn Tate; William Henry Taggart; James Thompson who all died in Belfast.

That night the aerodrome at Newtownards, which was the Headquarters of 231 Squadron, Royal Air Force was attacked.  The aerodrome was guarded by soldiers of the 70^th (Young Soldiers) Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, some of whom were too young for front line service and were deployed instead on the home front.  Newtownards aerodrome was attacked with a considerable number of incendiary bombs and some high explosive bombs.  One high explosive bomb that fell on the hutments of ‘A’ Company Headquarters killed 13 men, all of whom served with the 70^th Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.  Most were killed instantly, and the remainder died the following day as a result of their injuries:

• Fusilier William Bellamy (aged 28)
• Fusilier Samuel Burke (aged 18)
• Lance Corporal Alexander Carlisle
• Fusilier Andrew Copling (aged 16)
• Fusilier Hugh Fulton (aged 17)
• Fusilier George Graham
• Fusilier Daniel Higgins
• Fusilier Leslie Love (aged 34)
• Fusilier Samuel McFarland (aged 19)
• Company Quartermaster Sergeant William McMurray (aged 27)
• Fusilier Ernest McNeill (aged 17)
• Warrant Officer Class II Alfred Penfold (aged 36)
• Fusilier Matthew Wright (aged 18)

The casualties were all taken to Ards District Hospital in Newtownards.

There was another casualty with an Ards connection who died during the night of 15/16 April 1941.  Flight Lieutenant Wilfrid Mark Hamilton Brookes (aged 23) of 231 Squadron who was in Belfast at the time was killed during the air raid.

Lance Corporal Alexander Carlisle (No. 6984668) was 19 when he died on 16 April 1941 in Ards District Hospital.  He died of shock and haemorrhage resulting from his multiple injuries and he is commemorated on the Second World War Memorial in Ballymena Memorial Park, and in Connor Presbyterian Church.