Harry John Alner

Story:
Harry John Alner was born in Berwick St. John, Wiltshire, on 18 Sep 1896 the son of William Alner and Maria Alner (nee Whitmarsh). He lived most his early life in the Tollard Royal, Wiltshire, area until by 1911 the family had moved to Long Critchel, Wimborne, Dorset. He had enlisted with the Dorsetshire Regiment as a Private (Service No. 6625). At sometime he was transferred to the Army Service Corps as a Driver (Service No. T/37409) and served in India where he was in time awarded the Victory and British War Medals as well as the Indian General Service Medal with 3 clasps. He had married Martha Everett at St. Nicholas Church, Plumstead, Kent, on 14 Mar 1917. He made the Army his career and and had served in Persia (now Iran) as well as in India where he took part in suppressing the Malabar Rebellion in Bangalore, India, for which he received the Imperial General Service Medal (Malabar). by the time of WW2 he had reverted back to the Dorsetshire Regiment as a Private (Service No. 5719286) only to have been captured on 13 Aug 1940 by the Germans and made Prisoner of War until his release on 2 May 1945. He was ultimately discharged to reserves on 12 Feb 1946. His death was recorded in Honiton, Devon, during 1972. His brothers, George William Alner, Arthur Bertie Alner and Douglas Walter Alner, had all served in the conflict.