Sergeant Sergeant ( abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other ...

Arthur Frederick Saunders VC (22 April 1878 – 30 July 1947) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

recipient of the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previousl ...

, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...

forces.

Early life

He was born on 22 April 1878 in

Ipswich Ipswich () is a port town and borough in Suffolk, England, of which it is the county town. The town is located in East Anglia about away from the mouth of the River Orwell and the North Sea. Ipswich is both on the Great Eastern Main Line ...

one of 12 children of Thomas Saunders, a saddle and harness maker, and his wife Anne Victoria Clarke. The family then lived at 180 Cauldwell Hall Road in the parish of St John's Church in Ipswich. He was baptised on 24 April. The family moved every few years and were certainly tenants, struggling to make ends meet. He attended St John's Church of England Primary School in the town then California School in Ipswich.

Navy

In November 1893 Arthur joined

The Marine Society The Marine Society is a British charity, the world's first established for seafarers. In 1756, at the beginning of the Seven Years' War against France, Austria, and Saxony (and subsequently the Mughal Empire, Spain, Russia and Sweden) Britain ur ...

Training Ship A training ship is a ship used to train students as sailors. The term is mostly used to describe ships employed by navies to train future officers. Essentially there are two types: those used for training at sea and old hulks used to house class ...

''Warspite'', which was moored at Woolwich, and began trining for the Merchant Navy. On 25 February 1895 he joined the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against Fr ...

as a Boy, 2nd Class, at just under age 17. On 22 April 1896 (his 18th birthday), he signed-up for a continuous service engagement with the Royal Navy of 12 years, which he completed in 1908. He mainly served on HMS Pembroke then at the torpedo training school at HMS Vernon. During his time in the Royal Navy he served as a

petty officer A petty officer (PO) is a non-commissioned officer in many navies and is given the NATO rank denotation OR-5 or OR-6. In many nations, they are typically equal to a sergeant in comparison to other military branches. Often they may be super ...

(2nd Class). After leaving the Royal Navy he worked for the agricultural equipment company Ransomes, Sims & Jeffries.

Army

Arthur joined the Territorial Army and was attached as a reserve unit attached to the

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, participating in many wars and conflicts, including the First and Second World Wars, before b ...

. As such, at the outbreak of war, he (and all "reservists") were required to go into full service at the onset of war. Therefore, on 19 September 1914 he officially transferred to full service in the British Army. He served in France with the 9th Battalion of the Suffolk Regiment, as a part of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) from 30 August 1915. His award came as a result of the

Battle of Loos The Battle of Loos took place from 1915 in France on the Western Front, during the First World War. It was the biggest British attack of 1915, the first time that the British used poison gas and the first mass engagement of New Army units. Th ...

on the

Western Front Western Front or West Front may refer to: Military frontiers * Western Front (World War I), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (World War II), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (Russian Empire), a maj ...

in September 1915. His battalion were supporting the advance of the Cameron Highlanders. He was 37 years old, and a

sergeant Sergeant ( abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other ...

in the 9th (Service) Battalion,

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurkha ...

during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC. On 26 September 1915 near Loos,

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, A statement from Lt Crispinson, an officer he assisted said: a shell landed and blew part of his (Arthur's) left leg off, above the knee". A

tourniquet A tourniquet is a device that is used to apply pressure to a limb or extremity in order to stop the flow of blood. It may be used in emergencies, in surgery, or in post-operative rehabilitation. A simple tourniquet can be made from a stick an ...

was applied and he continued to fight, using a Lewis gun to hold back advancing German troops, some 150 in number. The Germans were somewhat surprised when this heavily injured man began to fire on them. The officer also then joined in the attack. The Germans retreated. They were recovered by stretcher bearers from the

Royal Engineers The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is a corps of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces and is head ...

, but further shelling left them abandoned before eventually being brought to an Advanced Dressing Station by stretcher bearers from the

Scots Guards The Scots Guards (SG) is one of the five Foot Guards regiments of the British Army. Its origins are as the personal bodyguard of King Charles I of England and Scotland. Its lineage can be traced back to 1642, although it was only placed on the E ...

. The Victoria Cross was announced on 30 March 1916, whilst still convalescing in hospital. It was the first VC to be awarded to the Suffolk Regiment so they were very proud of him. Lt Crispinson was awarded the

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level pre-1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth countries. The MC ...

for his own part. 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. On account of his wounds he was returned to England, and received a hero's welcome in his town home of Ipswich on 22 June 1916. He met the town's mayor at the town hall with senior officers from his regiment. A collection held in his honour enabled him to purchase a house on Foxhall Road in the California district of east Ipswich. He was presented with his

on 27 June 1916 by King George V at

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a London royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It ...

. He was discharged from the army at the depot of the Suffolk Regiment on 13 November 1916. He was awarded the

Silver War Badge The Silver War Badge was issued in the United Kingdom and the British Empire to service personnel who had been honourably discharged due to wounds or sickness from military service in World War I. History The badge, sometimes known as the "Di ...

on 5 December 1916. After the war he received the 1914-15 Star,

British War Medal The British War Medal is a campaign medal of the United Kingdom which was awarded to officers and men of British and Imperial forces for service in the First World War. Two versions of the medal were produced. About 6.5 million were struck in ...

, and the Victory Medal, as complements to his Victoria Cross. In 1920 he was given Freedom of the Burgh of Ipswich, and in 1923 was made a

Justice of the Peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or '' puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the s ...

. In 1939, Saunders worked as a drawing office clerk in Ransomes, Sims & Jeffries lawn mower department. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

he served in the 11th Suffolk Home Guard. Early in 1947 he was invited to a dinner in his honour in

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popu ...

by the Cameron Highlanders whose retreat he had protected back in 1915 at Loos. He was granted honorary membership of the regiment. He died on 30 July 1947 of kidney problems, he was cremated and his ashres scattered in Ipswich Cemetery's Garden of Rest.

Legacy

His VC was given to the Suffolk Regiment Museum in

Bury St Edmunds Bury St Edmunds (), commonly referred to locally as Bury, is a historic market, cathedral town and civil parish in Suffolk, England.OS Explorer map 211: Bury St.Edmunds and Stowmarket Scale: 1:25 000. Publisher:Ordnance Survey – Southampton ...

by his widow in 1989. A blue plaque was erected to Arthur at his 1914 home of 180 Cauldwell Hall Road in Ipswich in September 2010. A memorial also exists in the paving at Christchurch Park in Ipswich.

Family

On 6 December 1908 he married 18 year old Edith Muriel Everitt. Their son Thomas was born in 1909 Edward was born in 1912. His daughter Nina was born in 1923.

References

Bibliography

*'' Monuments to Courage'' (David Harvey, 1999) * The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997) *'' VCs of the First World War'' (Peter F. Batchelor & Christopher Matson, 1999)

External links

Location of grave and VC medal
''(Suffolk)''
Website dedicated to Sgt. Saunders and the Victoria Cross medal
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saunders, Arthur Frederick 1879 births 1947 deaths Military personnel from Ipswich Royal Navy sailors Suffolk Regiment soldiers British Home Guard soldiers British World War I recipients of the Victoria Cross British Army personnel of World War I British Army recipients of the Victoria Cross