234546 L/Cpl. Charles Richard Saunders Royal Navy Royal Naval Division My paternal grandfather Charles Richard Saunders was born on 23rd February 1899.
He signed up with the Royal Marine Light Infantry in August 1915 adding a year to his age and, after training, served as a Marine aboard HMS Havelock until September 1917 when his ship was due a refit, so he was sent to France in November 1917 as part of the Royal Naval Division. He saw action during February and March 1918 on the front line near Havrincourt Wood where he was wounded (shot and bayonetted) and captured. He then spent the rest of 1918 as a POW. He was honourably discharged on compassionate grounds in November 1919.
He also served in WW2 from 1939 in the RASC and the RAMC driving an ambulance. He ended up at Dunkirk in 1940. Unfortunately the ambulance was hit and he was seriously injured with a broken back. He was then captured owed his life to superb German surgeons who repaired his vertebrae. Afterwards he spent the rest of WW2 as a POW. He resumed his job as a lorry driver and had a good peaceful life until dying at the grand age of 98, a full life!
|