The Wartime Memories Project - The Second War

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245081 Flt.Lt. Samuel Donald "Sandy" Sanders DFC. Royal Canadian Air Force 424 Squadron from:Salter, Saskatchewan Don Sanders enlisted in July 1942, and trained in Claresholm, Alberta. He travelled to Britain on the Queen Elizabeth in late 1943, and was eventually posted to Skipton-on-Swale for his Operational tour. He flew Wellingtons and Halifaxes, but Lancasters were the best! He was awarded the DFC for a raid on Duisburg, when he continued to target after losing one engine, dropped the bomb load and returned to base. Falling behind the bomber stream, the aircraft was more exposed to enemy fighters and flak. After the war, he settled in Sioux Lookout, Ontario, where he married, raised four children and was a successful businessman and community promoter. He died in Sioux Lookout at the age of 65. Don mostly told amusing stories of his war years. He told of the time two members of his crew, after a night drinking in town, came back after curfew, and when stopped by military guards, tried to hold them up with home-made bows and arrows. He told stories of how the service men would go to the local pub, and after closing time, would often be invited into the private quarters of the publican's family for a feed of bacon and eggs. He talked about the easy camaraderie between the men. But he rarely mentioned the daily stress which took its toll on all of them. He formed friendships that lasted a lifetime, and when he was diagnosed with terminal cancer in his early 60s, he said he felt lucky that he had been given all the years that followed the war. After seeing so many young men die during the war, the rest of his life was a bonus. Christine Sanders Add to this record.  Related Content: No. 424 (Tiger) Squadron Royal Canadian Air Force HMS Queen Elizabeth RAF Skipton on Swale Can you help us to add to our records? Add a record to our website. The names and stories on this website have been submitted by their relatives and friends. If your relations are not listed please add their names so that others can read about them Did you or your relatives live through the Second World War? Do you have any photos, newspaper clippings, postcards or letters from that period? Have you researched the names on your local or war memorial? Were you or your relative evacuated? Did an air raid affect your area? If so please let us know. Help us to build a database of information on those who served both at home and abroad so that future generations may learn of their sacrifice. Contact us. Celebrate your own Family History Celebrate by honouring members of your family who served in the Secomd World War both in the forces and at home. We love to hear about the soldiers, but also remember the many who served in support roles, nurses, doctors, land army, muntions workers etc. Please use our Family History resources to find out more about your relatives. Then please send in a short article, with a photo if possible, so that they can be remembered on these pages.

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