SAUNDERS, WILLIAM ‘BILL’
William ‘Bill’ Saunders was born March 8, 1917, the son of Richard Percy and Ethel Annie (Addis) Saunders. Dick moved to Maple Island with his father, brother Charles ‘Dick’ and sister Irene in the late 1920’s.
In an interview with John Macfie recorded in “Sons of the Pioneers” pages 65-72, Bill recalled that he, his brother Charles ‘Dick’ and Jim Wylie from Ahmic Harbour joined at the same time. The same day, they were sent to Huntsville where they stayed in the old arena. They moved around quite a bit while in the Algonquins – Camp Borden, Lakehea, Niagara on the Lake, Shilo, Manitoba and St. John’s, Newfoundland. They were in Newfoundland over a winter and while there, Bill broke his ankle and was categorized as unfit for infantry duty. He was shipped to army headquarters, Atlantic Command. He put in for a transfer, as an infantry reinforcement. He went to Debert and from there he went overseas to Italy where he joined the Irish Regiment of Canada.
The Irish were just finished at Monte Cassino when he joined them.
While serving with the Irish Bill earned the Distinguished Conduct Medal during the Italian Campaign in WW II. His actions that day are described in the original citation, as follows:
“On the morning of 2 January 1945, the Irish Regiment of Canada launched an attack on Conventello. At the start line “C” Company came under extremely heavy shell, mortar and small arms fire and suffered heavy casualties. Despite the fact that the enemy fire continued Lance-Corporal Saunders not only personally carried five of his wounded comrades to safety but assisted his company commander to re-organize the company for a fresh assault and by his fearless example encouraged all ranks to further action.
In the opening phase of the assault, Lance-Corporal Saunders was painfully wounded in the foot by enemy small arms fire, but carried on and led his section onto the platoon objective five hundred yards in front of the start line.
Here the platoon was engaged by a well sited enemy machine gun which dominated the position from a range of fifty yards. While still under heavy fire this non-commissioned officer skillfully worked his way forward “ (while wounded) “and silenced the gun with grenades and tommy gun fire killing three of the enemy, wounding four and taking two prisoners.
On returning to his platoon position he allowed his wound to be dressed.
Before this was completed, enemy mortar fire killed a bren gunner who was covering the advance of the platoon on the left flank. Without hesitation he seized another bren gun and, running forward to a suitable position, continued the covering fire thereby enabling the platoon to reach the objective.
Throughout the entire action, the initiative, bravery and leadership of this non-commissioned officer was a source of inspiration to his comrades and enabled the company to attain and hold the objective and to continue its advance later in the day.”
Bill continued through Italy and then travelled with the Irish to Belgium and the Netherlands. He was wounded the second time around Nijmegen. As Bill described, there was a lot of mortar bombing and his unit was in a steel barn. A mortar hit the top and he got shrapnel in his back.
After the war he stayed in the service briefly and was discharged in December 1945.
A more complete accounting of Bill Saunders experiences is provided by John Macfie in Sons of the Pioneers, pages 65-72.