b. 13/11/1892 Oak River, Manitoba, Canada. d. 11/06/1976 Calgary, Canada.
Alexander Picton Brereton (1892-1976) was born on 13th November 1892 in Oak River, Manitoba, Canada. His father, Cloudesley “Claude” Picton Brereton, was from South Simcoe, Ontario. He was a store clerk, and later a farmer. Claude married Annie Fraser Black on 6th July 1887 at Blanshard, Manitoba. Alexander had eight siblings.
Alexander was educated at Oak River, Hamiota and Strathclair, Manitoba. He worked on a farm but listed his trade as a barber when the war broke out.
Alexander P Brereton VC
On the outbreak of World War I, he was living at 378 Rose Avenue, Winnipeg, when he enlisted with the 8th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force on 31st January 1916. He left Halifax, Nova Scotia for England on 11th September and arrived in Liverpool two weeks later. After being taken on strength at Shorncliffe, Kent, he arrived in France on 7th February 1917, where he joined the 8th Battalion Manitoba Regiment (2nd Brigade, 1st Canadian Division), with whom he remained for 22 months. He was promoted to Corporal and later Company Sergeant Major.
On 9th August 1918 east of Amiens, France, during an attack when a line of hostile machine-guns opened fire suddenly on his platoon which was in an exposed position with no cover Corporal Brereton realised that unless something was done, his platoon would be annihilated. On his own initiative he at once sprang forward alone and, reaching one of the enemy machine-gun posts, shot the operator of the gun and bayoneted the next one who attempted to operate it, whereupon nine others surrendered. His action inspired the platoon to charge and capture the five remaining posts.
Six weeks after his VC action, he was in Etaples hospital suffering from appendicitis, but recovered in time for his investiture at Buckingham Palace on 24th September 1918, alongside Corporal Frederick Coppins from King George V. After being demobbed, he returned to Canada, and married Mary Isabel McPhee on 17th June 1925 in Edwell, Alberta, and had three children. He later moved to Elnora, Alberta where he farmed 940 acres for a large part of the remainder of his life.
Alexander attended the VC Dinner at the House of Lords on 9th November 1929. On 2nd June 1939 he was presented to King George VI and Queen Elizabeth at Edmonton, Alberta during their tour of Canada. He rejoined the Canadian Army at the outbreak of World War II and was posted to a training camp at Red Deer, Alberta as a quartermaster-sergeant. He was discharged in 1944 and ran a butcher’s shop at Bashaw, Alberta, for a short period and later a general store at Newbanan, before returning to his farm in Elnora. He eventually handed over most of the farm to his son, Mac. He also attended the VC Centenary Celebrations in Hyde Park, London in June 1956.
Alexander died in Colonel Belcher Veterans’ Hospital, Calgary, Alberta on 11th June 1976, and was buried in Elnora Cemetery, Elnora, Alberta, Canada. He is commemorated with Alex Brereton VC Branch No 42 of the Royal Canadian Legion in Elnora. There is also Alexander Brereton Lake in Manitoba, named in November 2013. He is also on the VC obelisk in Barrie, Ontario, on Plaque No 19 at York Cemetery, Toronto, and has a VC commemorative stone placed at the National Memorial Arboretum, Alrewas, Staffordshire, alongside 144 other overseas VCs from the First World War.
In addition to his VC, he was awarded the British War Medal 1914-20, Victory Medal 1914-19, Canadian Volunteer Service Medal 1939-45, War Medal 1939-45, George VI Coronation Medal 1937, Elizabeth II Coronation Medal 1953 and Canadian Centennial Medal 1967. His medals were held privately, until they were purchased by Michael Ashcroft in 2006.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: LORD ASHCROFT COLLECTION.
BURIAL PLACE: ELNORA CEMETERY, ELNORA, ALBERTA, CANADA.
Acknowledgement:
Bill Mullen – Brereton VC Grave at Elnora, Alberta, Canada.