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Pilot Officer Alexander commenced flying in England at No. 15
Advanced Flying Unit, Leconfield, Yorkshire, in August, and after
a month's advanced training on Oxford aircraft underwent a short
course at No. 1516 Beam Approach Training Flight at Croft in the same
country. At the end of September he was posted to No. 30 (Bomber)
Operational Training Unit at Hixon in Staffordshire for operational
training on Vickers Wellington bombers. In January,1943 he spent
a few days at the Beam Approach Training Flight at Finningly in
Yorkshire, following which he underwent a physical training course
at Binbrook in Lincolnshire. He was posted to No. 1656 Conversion
Unit, Lindholme, Yorkshire, on February 19 for a conversion course
to four engined bombers, during which he received instruction on
Handley Page Halifaxes and Avro Lancasters. At the conclusion of
the course he was posted to No. 12 (Bomber) Squadron at Wickenby,
Lincolnshire, for operational duty on Lancasters. He commenced
duty with the Squadron on March 13,1943. On April 26 he was
commissioned in the rank of Pilot Officer.

Pilot Officer Alexander carried out successfully ten raids
against targets in Germany and occupied Europe, including the U-boat
base on the French coast, St. Nazaire, and Berlin, Kiel, Essen and
other cities in the Ruhr. He also made one raid on the port of
Spezia in Italy. After March 27 he was captain of his own Lancaster.

On the night of May 12, 1943, on his 11th operational flight,
Pilot Officer Alexander was the pilot of a Lancaster bomber that failed
to return to its base from a raid on Duisburg in Germany. Pilot
Officer Alexander was posted as missing and was later presumed to
have lost his life on the above date.