C.B.E. Gazetted 3 June 1919.
Distinguished Service Order Gazetted 4 June 1917.
Order of Leopold 4th Class Gazetted 24 Sep 1917.
Belgian Croix de Guerre 11 Mar 1918.
French Croix de Guerre Gazetted 11 Mar 1918.
John Donald Alexander was born in Callan, Ireland on 11 Apr 1867, the eldest son of Reverend John Alexander, Dean of Ferns and Rector of Mullingar. Educated at St. Columba's College and Trinity College, Dublin. Appointed Surgeon Lieutenant in the Army Medical Service on 30 Jan 1892, serving in Bengal in 1894 and promoted to Surgeon Captain on 30 Jan 1895, present with the Tirah Expeditionary Force and participating at the capture of Sampagha and Arhanga Passes, present at the reconnaissance of the Saran Sar and action of 9 Nov 1897 and operations at Dwatoi, action of 24 Nov 1897 and operations against the Khani Khel Chamkanis, finally in the Bazar Valley 25 to 30 Dec 1897 and the affair at Shinkamar on 29 Jan 1898.
During the Boer War, Alexander was present at the Relief of Ladysmith, Colenso, Tugela Heights and Pieters Hill. He was also present at the Relief of Mafeking, and the Transvaal operations and the action at Frederickstad, Mentioned in Despatches on 8 Feb 1901. Made Major in 1904, Lieutenant-Colonel on 31 Aug 1914, Alexander disembarked with the Royal Army Medical Corps in France on 27 Oct 1914 and was appointed Temporary Colonel whilst A.D.M.S. of a Division on 23 Mar 1916.
Alexander died on 10 July 1922 after an unsuccessful operation on a duodinal ulcer at the Queen Alexandra Military Hospital Millbrook.