A Great War M.M. awarded to Lieutenant H. C. Saunders, Royal Air Force, late 47th (British Columbia) Battalion, Canadian Infantry, and Royal Flying Corps, who was killed in action while serving in No. 46 Squadron in September 1918

Military Medal, G.V.R. (629366 Sjt. H. C. Saunders, 47/Can. Inf.), scratch to edge at 8 o’clock and much polished, thus fine £300-350

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Fine Collection of Awards to the Canadian Forces.

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M.M. London Gazette 19 November 1917.

Herbert Clement Saunders was born in Kingston, Ontario, on 5 August 1885. A Civil Engineer by profession, he enlisted in the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force in June 1915, and was originally posted to the 72nd Battalion, Canadian Infantry (The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada).

Subsequently transferred to the 47th (British Columbia) Battalion, and advanced to Sergeant in England in April 1916, he went out to France that August, but was invalided back to England at the year’s end, suffering from influenza and general debility. Returning to his unit in the Field in the summer of 1917, he went on to win the M.M., while in January 1918 he was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the British Columbia Regiment.

However, two months later he transferred to the Royal Flying Corps, and was posted to No. 46 Squadron in August 1918, in which capacity he was posted ‘missing’, later confirmed as killed in action, on the 16th of the following month - when his Sopwith Camel was seen to go down in flames after a combat over Hesbecourt. Saunders, who was 33 years old, was buried in the Templeux-le-Guerard British Cemetery; sold with copied service record.