Arthur Frederick Saunders
Encyclopedia
Arthur Frederick Saunders VC
(Ipswich
(23 April 1879 – 30 July 1947) was an English
recipient of the Victoria Cross
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British
and Commonwealth
forces.
Arthur trained for the Merchant Marine and joined the Royal Navy
, serving for 15 years and reaching the rank of Petty Officer
(2nd Class). Leaving the navy he worked for Ransomes, Sims & Jeffries. While at Ransomes, he joined the Territorial element of The Suffolk Regiment, the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion. At the outbreak of war, he joined the Regular Army as a duration only soldier in a service battalion
His award came as a result of the Battle of Loos
on the Western Front
in September 1915. His battalion were supporting the advance of the Cameron Highlanders
. He was 36 years old, and a sergeant
in the 9th (Service) Battalion, Suffolk Regiment
, British Army
in the on the First World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On 26 September 1915 near Loos
, France
,
He was recovered by stretcher bearers from the Scots Guards
. Common belief states that the wounds to his leg meant that it was amputated when he reached an Advanced Dressing Station. However, this is inaccurate. After medical attention and a period of convalescence his leg had become 3 inches shorter therefore he wore a medical boot to aid his walking.
In the Second World War he served in the Home Guard
.
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
(Ipswich
Ipswich
Ipswich is a large town and a non-metropolitan district. It is the county town of Suffolk, England. Ipswich is located on the estuary of the River Orwell...
(23 April 1879 – 30 July 1947) was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
recipient of the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
forces.
Arthur trained for the Merchant Marine and joined the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
, serving for 15 years and reaching the rank of Petty Officer
Petty Officer
A petty officer is a non-commissioned officer in many navies and is given the NATO rank denotion OR-6. They are equal in rank to sergeant, British Army and Royal Air Force. A Petty Officer is superior in rank to Leading Rate and subordinate to Chief Petty Officer, in the case of the British Armed...
(2nd Class). Leaving the navy he worked for Ransomes, Sims & Jeffries. While at Ransomes, he joined the Territorial element of The Suffolk Regiment, the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion. At the outbreak of war, he joined the Regular Army as a duration only soldier in a service battalion
His award came as a result of the Battle of Loos
Battle of Loos
The Battle of Loos was one of the major British offensives mounted on the Western Front in 1915 during World War I. It marked the first time the British used poison gas during the war, and is also famous for the fact that it witnessed the first large-scale use of 'new' or Kitchener's Army...
on the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
in September 1915. His battalion were supporting the advance of the Cameron Highlanders
Cameron Highlanders
Cameron Highlanders may mean:* The Highlanders , infantry regiment in the Scottish Division of the British Army* The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa, Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Forces...
. He was 36 years old, and a sergeant
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
in the 9th (Service) Battalion, Suffolk Regiment
Suffolk Regiment
The Suffolk Regiment was an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army with a history dating back to 1685. It saw service for three centuries, before being amalgamated with the Royal Norfolk Regiment as the 1st East Anglian Regiment in 1959...
, British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
in the on the First World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On 26 September 1915 near Loos
Loos-en-Gohelle
Loos-en-Gohelle is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A former coal mining town, three miles northwest of the centre of Lens, at the junction of the D943 and the A21 autoroute. Its nearest neighbours are Lens to the south, Grenay to the...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
,
- "When his officer had been wounded during the attack, Sergeant Saunders took charge of two machine-guns and a few men and, although severely wounded in the thigh, closely followed the last four charges of another battalion, giving them all possible support. Later, when the remains of the battalion which he had been supporting was forced to retire, he stuck to one of his guns and in spite of his wound, continued to give clear orders and by continuous firing did his best to cover the retirement."
He was recovered by stretcher bearers from the Scots Guards
Scots Guards
The Scots Guards is a regiment of the Guards Division of the British Army, whose origins lie in the personal bodyguard of King Charles I of England and Scotland...
. Common belief states that the wounds to his leg meant that it was amputated when he reached an Advanced Dressing Station. However, this is inaccurate. After medical attention and a period of convalescence his leg had become 3 inches shorter therefore he wore a medical boot to aid his walking.
In the Second World War he served in the Home Guard
British Home Guard
The Home Guard was a defence organisation of the British Army during the Second World War...
.
External links
- Location of grave and VC medal (Suffolk)