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Auction: 8010 - Orders, Decorations, Medals & Militaria
Lot: 223

A Great War Group of Three to Pioneer H.N. Saunders, Royal Engineers, Killed in Action, 14.9.1914 1914 Star, with Bar (23719 Pnr: H.N. Saunders. R.E.); British War and Victory Medals (23719 Pnr. H.N. Saunders. R.E.), generally good very fine (3) Estimate £ 180-220 23719 Pioneer Herbert Nathan Saunders, born Hammersmith, London; served during the Great War with the 57th Field Company Royal Engineers on the Western Front from 16.8.1914; he was killed in action 14.9.1914; the company took part in the retreat from Mons destroying bridges enroute and were in fact the last of the British Expeditionary Force to leave Mons; Captain Theodore Wright of the 57th Field Company had been awarded the Victoria Cross for attempting to destroy a pontoon bridge at Mariette on the 24th August; three weeks later on the 14th September, the day Saunders was killed, Wright was in action again with a small team as they repaired the pontoon bridge that stood across the River Aisne at Vailly, the Company War Diary entry for 13th/14th September 1914 gives the following, ´´13th big battle going on at Soissons, engineer reconnaissance of Vailly valley.... 14th during the night of the 13/14th 56th and 57th Companies built the pontoon bridge at Vailly, 57th Company also built the footbridge over the destroyed railway bridge. The 5th Cavalry Brigade crossed the pontoon bridge into Vailly and then owing to want of room and shell-fire had to to retire, heavy shell-fire on the canal bridge. 57th Company, which had been split up at different places had to retire after the cavalry had crossed and eventually assembled in the wood near Chasseny. Cpt. Wright (a./adjt.), 1 Lieut. and 2 sappers were killed at the bridge and a Corporal wounded´´; Saunders is buried in the Vailly British Cemtery, Aisne, France.

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