Major Alexander M Young TD, OBE was a civil servant, local politician and Territorial army officer active in the Ilford area. Born in Dundee, Scotland, Young studied at the University of London before entering the civil service. He settled in Ilford. He held a commission in a territorial battalion of the Essex Regiment, and saw service in the First World War on the Western Front, reaching the rank of major. A member of Ilford Borough Council, he served as Mayor of Ilford in 1931-32.