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Remembered Today:

Herbert Frederick Sanders DCM, 11973, HQ 48 Bde. RFA and 357813 Royal Engineers.


Ivor Anderson

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Herbert Frederick Sanders DCM, 11973, HQ 48 Bde. RFA and 357813 Royal Engineers.

This soldier does not seem to have a surviving service record. I think the personal details posted below are for him:

 

Born: Q1 1894 St. Pancras district, London (1b, 151) - born 10 Jan 1894 (1939)

1901 Census: 19 Dale Road, St. Pancras, London. Age 7.

1911 Census: 19 Dale Road, St. Pancras, London. Accountant clerk, aged 17.

                        Parents: Henry (47) & Lydia (46) Sanders. 

                        Siblings: William (18), Sydney (14), Henry (12), Elsie (10).

 

MIC states he entered France 23 May 1915

DCM listed in London Gazette 29438, 14 January 1916

Citation in the London Gazette 29503, 11 March 1916: 

For conspicuous gallantry; he showed the greatest bravery and contempt of danger in repairing his telephone lines under heavy fire and in carrying messages at a most critical time.’

DCM in ‘list of awards to date’ in 48 Brigade RFA’s WD at end of June 1916. His DCM must have been for 1915 if it was listed in the LG in January 1916.

48 Brigade RFA HQ War Diary places them in the Ypres area in October 1915.

3 October 1915 'Ypres heavily shelled'. HQ moved to Poperinghe on 19 October 1915. Batteries under command of 47 Brigade RFA for next few weeks.

48 Brigade RFA War Diary 1915-1916https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7352704

48 Brigade RFA War Diary 1917-1919https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/a7c62ec2440f40079be2a6d72372026a

He also served under RE 357813. Two MICs on ancestry- one for the 14-15 star & one for the BWM & VM.

Discharged 20 May 1919 from Royal Engineers 357813

 

Married: 17 September 1922 to Ellen Naomi Smith at St. Stephen’s, Upper Holloway.

                Accountant & dressmaker. Father Henry Sanders, pianoforte maker.

1939 21 Langham Gardens, Hendon, born 10 Jan 1894. Shopkeeper confectionary, Toys, Tobacco

Died: Q2 1968 aged 74. Hendon district, London (5c, 198).

Edited by Ivor Anderson
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Herbert Sanders' DCM in the 48th Brigade RFA's War Diary at the end of June 1916:

Screen Shot 2020-07-23 at 17.07.02.png

Edited by Ivor Anderson
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His DCM index card (off Ancestry) confirming his RFA unit and the January 1916 LG listing.

His DCM citation (LG 11-03-1916) would indicate that he was serving as a despatch runner at Brigade HQ:

 

DCM H. Sanders.png

Screen Shot 2020-07-23 at 16.49.41.png

Edited by Ivor Anderson
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Thanks Terry, That makes sense as his DCM was for repairing telephone lines. The other 4 on the above list (in 48 Brigade RFA companies) got their DCMs for similar things in the same gazette. His DCM & trio:

 

DSC_0548.jpg

Edited by Ivor Anderson
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He is on the list (6th from bottom of first page) of 48 Brigade RFA HQ as at 19 December 1915. The WD has full lists of each battery at this point too.

 

Screen Shot 2020-07-23 at 20.16.57.png

Edited by Ivor Anderson
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From The Annotated DCM Roll 1914 to 1920 by H J WILLIAMSON. :

"SANDERS H. BMBR. 11973  H.Q. 48TH BRIGADE RFA DCM L/GAZETTE 11.3.16. FOR GALLANTRY AS A LINESMAN AND RUNNER AT YPRES 30/31ST JULY 1915 UNDER HEAVY FIRE.HE REPAIRED TELEPHONE LINES AND CARRIED IMPORTANT MESSAGES AT THE MOST CRITICAL TIME

                        Best w, Howard.

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DCMs:

LLEWELLYN....25.9.15 RAILWAY WOOD/

MILES 12.2.16 S.E. OF BOESINGHE

WILSON 2.8.15. YPRES

WALKER 20.7.15. HOOGE

                                   BEST W, HOWARD

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Thank you very much Howard. I didn't think to search that far back in the WDs. Extract from WD for 30/31 July 1915 attached (NA WO95/1887/2/1).

I note that this was when: The first notable use of the Flammenwerfer came in a surprise attack launched by the Germans upon the British at Hooge in Flanders. 

At 0315 on 30 July 1915 the Germans made effective use of the portable Flammenwerferhttps://www.firstworldwar.com/weaponry/flamethrowers.htm

Is your 'Annotated DCM Roll 1914 to 1920' nearing publication? Are the action details on the back of the DCM index cards?

Thanks again, Ivor

Screen Shot 2020-07-24 at 01.36.32.png

Edited by Ivor Anderson
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IVOR,DCM ROLL WILL BE FINISHED BY THE END OF SEPTEMBER, THEN HAVE TO PROOF READ 2235 PAGES AND OVER 25,000 ENTRIES.SHOULD BE 3 VOLS.HAS TAKEN ME 10 YEARS !!

THE DETAILS COME FROM HUNDREDS OF SOURCES BUT PRIMARILY THE ANNOTATED GAZETTES OF WHICH I HAVE COPIES FORM THE BASIS OF THE STUDY

BEST W, HOWARD

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Wow! A mammoth task! However, your books will be a legacy and of lasting value to future generations. I will wait with anticipation.

Best wishes with the proof reading. No wonder they call a person's writings their 'works'!

Ivor

Edited by Ivor Anderson
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  • 1 year later...

Acting Bombardier Peter Wilson 6185, C Battery, 48th Bde. RFA DCM citation in the same LG (re. 2 August 1915):

PW.png

Edited by Ivor Anderson
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  • 4 weeks later...

Bdr. Herbert Sanders was transferred from the RFA to the RE as 357813.

Bdr. Walter Martin Bartlett 10201 RFA transferred to the RE as 357812 and his service record survives:

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageviewer/collections/1219/images/miuk1914e_124181-01056?treeid=&personid=&hintid=&queryId=69f5175990a64a8e27b8ba76eeb8b64b&usePUB=true&_phsrc=AHE14139&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true&pId=105934

Bartlett had joined the RFA on 31 August 1914. He was 'compulsorily transferred ' from 48th Bde. RFA to the RE on 9th Dec. 1917 (probably with Saunders):

Screen Shot 2021-08-22 at 11.51.23.png

Edited by Ivor Anderson
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