Alexander Smith lived in Trafford Park and worked as a riveter. He enlisted on 30 May 1917 aged 18, presumably drafted under the Military Service Act. He had no prior military experience. Like approximately 155 young men who were 18 to 19 years old, he was one of the raw recruits drafted into the Army Reserve for the duration of the war about 3 months before his 18th birthday and assigned to one of the training battalions, mainly the 71st and 67th Training Reserve Battalions, with a reserve service number. These units were based at Ripon for the 71st or at the Altcar Training Camp in Hightown, Merseyside for the 67th.

He was subsequently posted to the 5th Reserve Battalion Manchester Regiment on 27 November 1917, moved to Scarborough and assigned a proper 5 digit Manchester Regiment service number in the 59000 or 60000 ranges. He then proceeded to Folkestone on 30 March 1918 and embarked for Boulogne, arriving on 31 March 1918. Assigned to the Manchester Infantry Base Depot at Etaples, he was transferred on 4 April 1918 to the 1st Battalion Notts and Derby Regiment, the 1st Sherwood Foresters, and assigned a new 6 digit service number in the range 108979 to 109155.

In April the 1st Sherwoods took part in what was to become known as the Second Battle of Villers Bretonneux. The Battalion moved on 12 April, eventually going into the front line on 19 April at Villers Bretonneux. They were relieved on the evening of the 23rd and marched back to reserve billets in Blangy Tronville.

At 3.45am on the 24th the Germans began a frontal assault under cover of mist and smoke and had successfully penetrated the Allied lines at Villers Bretonneux by 9.30am. The 1st Sherwoods were immediately put under the temporary command of the 23rd Infantry Brigade and were ordered to launch a counter offensive at 10am. Fighting continued until the night of the 27th when the Battalion was relieved. However, the counter offensive was successful and Villers Bretonneux was recaptured with the Germans driven from all their positions. The toll on the Battalion was heavy and 234 men were officially listed as killed, wounded or missing. The Battalion had been severely depleted once again.

Alexander Smith died on 24 April 1918, having spent less than a month in France and joining the ranks of those lost in the Second Battle of Villers Bretonneux.