Leonard Eversden Saunders

With very grateful thanks to all the members of the Saunders family who have so generously shared information, photographs and letters which has enabled me to write this biography. Karen Wright, Whittlesford May 2026

Leonard Eversden Saunders was born on 20 July 1907 at Lolworth, Cambridgeshire, the son of George Albert and Mahala Saunders (née Houghton). He was baptised in Lolworth Church on 29 July 1907.

Back row left to right: Phillip Peters (husband of Martha), Jethro, Beatrice, Kate (wife of Henry), Reginald, Henry, Molly (wife of Albert).
Middle Row sitting: Martha, George (Father) with Ernest, Mahala (Mother) with Gerald, Albert
Front Row: Leonard, Georgina known as Ena, Violet

 

Father:
His father, George Albert Saunders, was born 15 March 1872, registered Bourn, Cambs. Prior to moving to Whittlesford he is described as a cow man on the 1911 Census. He was the licencee of The Brewery Tap public house but also worked at the gravel pits on the outskirts of the village. Early on the morning of 30 March 1922, he was accidentally suffocated by a fall of gravel upon him whilst working at the gravel pit. After an inquest, held at The Brewery Tap, his funeral was held on 4 April, 1922 and he was buried in the churchyard of the Parish Church, Row G8.

Mother:
His mother, Mahala  Saunders (née Houghton), was born 30 August 1873, registered Bourn, Cambs. She married George on 20 August 1892 at Bourn. After the death of George she stayed on at The Brewery Tap for a few years but then moved to Coopers Terrace in the village. At the time of her death on 7 September 1935 her address was given as High Street, Little Shelford, thought to be the home of one of her daughters. She was buried in the churchyard of the Parish Church, Whittlesford, Row G8, on 10 September, 1935. She had given birth to 10 children.

Leonard's siblings:
Martha Ann 1893-1989 married Philip Burie Peters. Son Gerald (WW2 POW of Japanese. Survived to return to Whittlesford)
Albert George 1895-1967 married Mary Orriss (WW1 Army - POW 1918)
Henry Philip 1898 – 1975 married Catherine Barnwell (WW1 Royal Navy)
Jethro Harold 1900 – 1987 married Julia Flitton (WW1 not overseas until 1919. WW2 escaped from Dunkirk and served throughout war)
Beatrice 1902 -1968 married Stephen (Bertie) Tofts (WW1 Army. WW2 Home Guard)
William Reginald 1905-1984 married Magdalene Nunn (WW2 Home Guard)
Violet Laura 1910-1987 married Charles Tyrrell
Georgiana Miriam 1913-1989 married Albert W Blincoe
A son William F Saunders was born and died in 1904

In 1911 the family were living at No.1 The Lodge, Lolworth. His father was a cowman on a farm, sister Martha was a domestic servant, brother Albert was also a farm worker. Henry, Jethro and Beatrice were at school, Reginald, Leonard and Violet were still at home and Georgina was still to be born.

In early 1917 the family moved to Whittlesford to The Brewery Tap in West End, Whittlesford. A newspaper report shows that George Saunders took over the licence of The Brewery Tap from William W. Mansfield on 8 February 1917.  The current building, now a private house on the site, is not thought to be the house the family lived in. Reginald, Leonard and Violet were enrolled at the village school on 8 February 1917, Georgina following later on 4 June 1917. Leonard was No. 130 on the school roll and he remained at the school until 1 July 1921 when, according to the school records, he had “gone to work”

A newspaper report in 1944 said that he had worked at Towgoods Paper Mill in Sawston, where many Whittlesford people worked, before enlisting into the army on 17 January 1928 at Bury St Edmunds, initially for 7 years. His trade was given as Labourer when he enlisted in the Norfolk Regiment.

Photograph of young Leonard showing the badge of the Royal Norfolk Regiment

 

His service record reveals his progress through the ranks but there is no entry for 1935. Leonard is shown living at his mother's home in Cooper's Terrace, Whittlesford on the Electoral Register for Whittlesford in 1935. Could one of the 1936 dates be a typing error?

After initial training Leonard was posted to China on 28 September 1928 where he remained until 14 November 1929. In June 1929 he was promoted to Lance Corporal (unpaid) and also passed a swimming test. The photos below were taken when he was in China.

He was posted to India on the 14 November, 1929 where it says he remained until 27 March 1936. In 1930 he was paid as a Lance Corporal and from 15 March 1932 he was a Corporal (substantive rank , meaning permanent with pension). He spent time in Solon (sometimes called Solan) and Balgaum.

Leonard sits in the middle of the NCOs No 8 Platoon photo

 

Whilst in India, Leonard played for the hockey team

 

Hockey Team. Calcutta 1934. Leonard sits in the front row on left.

 

In 1935 Leonard's name appears on the Electoral Roll at Whittlesford at the home of his mother, Mahala, in Cooper's Terrace. This suggests that the date for his posting home on the Service Record may be inaccurate and he came home in 1935 not 1936. Also living in Cooper's Terrace were Jethro and Julia, Reginald and Magdalene and Violet but as the houses are not numbered it is not known if they were all in the same house. In March 1936 (possibly 1935) Leonard was posted back to the “home country”.

Leonard married Catherine Brinkley in 1936. She was born on 1 November 1913. The Banns for their wedding were read on 27 November, 6 and 13 December at Drinkstone, Suffolk and they were married on Boxing Day, 26 December 1936. Leonard's address on the Banns certificate is Britannia Barracks, Norwich, which was the base for the Royal Norfolk Regiment. The marriage was registered in Bury St Edmunds.

The wedding cake card showing the address they would be living at: 53 Britannia Road, Norwich.

In January 1939 Leonard extended his service to 21 years and just prior to the beginning of WW2, Catherine appears on the 1939 Electoral Register with her parents at Clanvers End, Wendens Ambo. Her father's occupation was agricultural labourer. Leonard cannot be found on any 1939 Electoral Register, probably because he was living in barracks and the military authorities kept separate records. Leonard and Catherine had two daughters: Margaret Mahala, born 13 October 1937 and Shirley Georgina, born 7 May 1943.

We get insight into what Leonard did during the war from “The Britannia” 7th Battalion written by Lt.Col. I.H. Freeland D.S.O. The Battalion was reformed in 1940 and remained in the UK until D-Day. In 1941 the 7th Battalion moved to Grimsby and undertook operational tasks such as coastal defence and guarding Grimsby docks. During August the Battalion was given the task of constructing defences at Hemswell aerodrome and training R.A.F. ground defence personnel. In October the battalion took part in the first large scale exercise in the North of England. Leonard was promoted to CQMS Company Quartermaster Sergeant (war substantive rank) in February 1941 and in January 1942 to CSM Company Sergeant Major, again with war substantive rank.

In 1942 the Battalion was still fully commmitted to coastal defences, moving to Norfolk where Battalion Headquarters were based at North Walsham, Stacham, Happisburgh and Sheringham. In 1943 the Battalion moved to Loughhall near Armagh in Northern Ireland and this is where Leonard was mentioned in The Britannia as having been temporarily promoted to RSM Regimental Sergean Major until a new RSM arrived. During this time they were continuously training. Later in the year the Battalion once again moved, returning to England and being based in Kent at Hawkhurst, Rye and Winchelsea. In July they moved to Northam and lived under canvas. The Battalion trained on The Downs around Lewes. In October they were part of the “Harlequin” exercise which was a rehearsal for the invasion. Many of them thought it was a real thing and only when they got to the coast did they discover it was a rehearsal for invasion. They were back in Margate through the winter and spring with much sleeping out in the Kent countryside.

From January 1943 to September 1943 he was acting Regimental Sergeant Major, the highest non commisioned officer rank after which he reverted to CSM Company Sergeant Major which was his rank when he went to France in June 1944.

From April 1944, for the six weeks leading up to D-Day intensive training continued. Scheduled to arrive in Normandy on D-Day plus 16 they waited in Margate. The 7th Battalion was split into four parties for the move to Normandy. The landings  were seriously disrupted by bad weather but most had arrived by 28 June. The Vehicle Group arrived the day after a good trip without losing a single vehicle wading ashore. In the following week much preparation and training was carried out with some relaxation as the local river afforded reasonable bathing.

The battalion saw their first action in the Battle for Epron, near Caen on the 8th July, 1944. The Britannia reported what happened and it was during this battle that Leonard Saunders was killed.

Leonard's wife received this letter that was written two days later, giving details of his circumstances of death. The first two pages are shown here but the full transcription is below.

Dear Mrs Saunders,
I thought perhaps I should write and tell you something of your husbands death when this battalion took Epron. On 8th July, I was with his company that day as a stretcher bearer. I trust this will not add to your already great sorrow, if it does please forgive me. 
The advance had started and your husband was up at the front of the coy (company) directing operations with no thought that the enemy may pick him out as a leader. He was shot through the mouth by a sniper whilst giving a man an order. When I got to him only a few minutes later after, he had gone. He must have died instantly as the bullet had penetrated his brain. He was very gallant with no thought of his own personal safety, he did his part in directing what was in the end a succesful operation.
We all miss him terrribly as he was a first class soldier and a great leader, the battalion is the poorer for his loss. I am not much of a letter writer but thought perhaps you would like to know how he died and I'm the only one, I think, who knew all the facts. 
I enclose a little pamphlet that has helped me considerably out here and I thought perhaps it may show a glimmering of light to you in your sorrow. If it does distress you please forgive me.
God bless you and show you the way out of your sorrow.
Yours Truly, E. A. Tubb

Leonard is buried in the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery at Cambes-En-Plaine with 223 other casualties. The cemetery is about 7 kilometres north of Caen and was designed by P.D. Hepworth.

The inscription on his grave reads: GOD TAKES THOSE WE LOVE FROM OUR LIGHT BUT NEVER FROM OUR HEARTS. RIP

L-R: Leonard's grave with its original grave marker; Leonard's grave with its CWGC headstone

 

News of his death was published in the Cambridge Independent Press on the 28th July 1944

Leonard Saunders is rememberd on the Whittlesford War Memorial, located on the corner of Church Lane, Whittlesford

He is also remembered on a memorial tablet placed on the family grave in Whittlesford churchyard. It reads: Also their son Leonard Saunders C.S.M. 3rd R. Norfolks Fell in Action 8th July 1944 Aged 32

Catherine did not re-marry and died 26 June, 1992. Her addresss at the time was 10 Beech Close, Little Shelford.