Lieut Frederick Egerton Sanders (MC)

• Age: 21
• From: Great Crosby, Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Thursday 10th October 1918
• Commemorated at: Highland Cem Le Cateau
  Panel Ref: I.B.22

Frederick Egerton Sanders was the son of Walter Ernest Sanders and his wife Alice (nee Cooke). Frederick was baptised on 16th June 1897 at Holy Trinity Church, Walton Breck Road, Liverpool. His parents married also at Holy Trinity Church on 06th July 1896, his father was 35, and a clerk, living at 81 Esmond Street, Breck Road.

The 1901 Census  finds the family living at 127 Whitefield Road, Everton. Parents Walter E. 40, a commercial traveller in oils and paints, and Alice 31 a sub-postmistress, with son Frederick E.

The 1911 Census finds that the family have moved to  46 Ashdale Road, Waterloo. Parents Walter E. 50 commercial traveller, and Alice 41. They have  been married for 14 years and have had two children, who are listed as; Frederick 13 at school, and Ernest Donald 9. Also included are a servant and a visitor. 

Frederick was educated at Oakes Institute, Walton, where he won a junior county scholarship in 1912, was first in England in the College of Preceptors' Examination, and also matriculated in 1913, he also won the Tate Science Scholarship and the Senior County Scholarship in 1915. In the same year he became a student at the Liverpool University and after taking his intermediate B.Sc. entered upon his military career.

He was originally Gazetted to the 5th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment and was posted to the 19th Battalion. In December 1916 he arrived at the 24th Infantry Infantry Base Depot in France and reported for duty at 19th Battalion Headquarters at Humbercamps, with five other officers on 1st January 1917. For the next eighteen months, he served with the 19th Battalion, taking part in its actions with the 89th Brigade 30th Division.

After the Battalion had survived the severe fighting which followed the German breakthrough near St Quentin in March 1918, it was sent up the Ypres Salient and took part in equally heavy fighting near Voormezeele. On 30th April 1918, after a German officer had been killed by a British sniper, Sanders went out at night and having found his body, brought back vital unit identification from his uniform. It was for this, and earlier exploits that he was awarded the Military Cross which was announced in the Supplement to the London Gazette, in the edition of 16th September 1918. The Citation states : `

"For conspicuous gallantry in action 29th April 1918 in front of Voomezeele, and devotion to duty during a heavy enemy attack. His Company being on the outpost line, his Commanding Officer and all other Officer’s of his Company having become Casualties, he brought back the remainder of his Company, some thirty men, back to the main line, fighting in good order all the way under very heavy shell fire and machine gun fire. The next night he did useful work in bringing in bodies of an enemy Officer and man for identification."

On the evening of May 1st 1918, the Battalion was pulled out of the line and sent to the Scottish Camp, not far from Voomezeele. The following day, however, enemy shelling was so heavy that the camp had to be evacuated, but not before Sanders and a brother Officer, Second-Lieutenant E Ansell had been wounded by a high explosive shell. Sanders wound could not have been too serious, however because he was in action again before too long.

In August 1918,the 19th Battalion was absorbed by the 14th Battalion The King’s Liverpool Regiment which in turn was absorbed by the 18th Battalion. From that time, Sanders served with the 18th, until his death in October.

At the time of his death in action, on 10th October 1918,the Germans were retreating eastwards and the Battalion was following up and harrying where possible. By the morning of the 10th,it was In a position near Reumont, near Le Cateau, France. At 05.10am,an attack was made towards Le Cateau, which at first met little opposition, but was then harassed by Machine-gun fire. As the Battalion advanced towards the town it had to cross a slight rise and move down a narrow valley which exposed it to a battery of high velocity field guns, which were firing over open sights. Eventually, the Battalion pushed forward to a position in a sunken road which crossed The Reumont to Montay Road, and by nightfall, was established in front of Le Cateau itself. At some point during the day’s action, Lieutenant Sanders was killed by a bursting shell. He was aged twenty one.

He now rests at Highland Cemetery, Le Cateau, France, in Plot IV, Row B, Grave 2, next to Second-Lieutenant L J Hayes of the 18th Battalion, who was killed on the same day.

After the Battle of Le Cateau (26 August 1914), the town remained in German hands until the middle of October 1918. The original cemetery (Plot III) was made by the 50th (Northumbrian) Division after the fighting of 17 October; the name of Highland Cemetery is suggestive at once of the comparatively high ground on which it stands and of the 32 graves of the 13th (Scottish Horse) Battalion, Black Watch, found in this plot. The cemetery was greatly enlarged after the Armistice when graves of October and November 1918 were brought in from isolated positions on all sides of Le Cateau. Highland Cemetery now contains 624 First World War burials. The cemetery was designed by Charles Holden.

His headstone does not bear the Eagle and Child of the Pals Battalions, but the White Horse of Hanover worn by the Regular and some Territorial Battalions, probably because the 5th Battalion was still nominally his parent unit. It has the private inscription:

"FATHER IN THY GRACIOUS KEEPING LEAVE WE NOW OUR LOVED ONE SLEEPING".

In the same row as Lieutenant Sanders and Second-Lieutenant Hayes are two other soldiers from the Battalion, Private F W Consterdine and Lance Corporal R Walker, both killed on 10th October 1918. The Cemetery Register records that Lieutenant Sanders was “Killed in action on the Montay Road near Le Cateau “.

A brother Officer wrote of him to his family, after his death,

“How we shall all miss him, he was always cheerful under the most adverse circumstances. It was an inspiration to see him in action, always smiling, his only concern being the welfare of his men. In my sorrow I miss him very deeply as a friend and counsellor. His life was faultless, and at times made me envious. “

His death was reported in the Liverpool Echo on 22nd October 1918:

SANDERS - October 10, killed in action, aged 21 years, Lieut. FREDERICK EGERTON SANDERS M.C. K.L.R. (late Pals), elder and dearly beloved son of Walter Ernest and Alice Sanders, 39 College Road, Great Crosby.

Soldiers Effects to father Walter Ernest, Pension record shows no award.

Probate of his estate was obtained at Liverpool on the 9th July 1919 by his father, a commercial traveller. His effects were valued at £196 1s 8d (£9,4000 at current values).

At a ceremony held in 1989 in the office of the High Sherriff of Merseyside, Lieutenant Sanders’ sister in law, Mrs BH Sanders presented his Military Cross to the 5/8th Battalion, The King’s Regiment, the successors to the original 5th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment, with whom Lieutenant Sanders first served.

Frederick's Medal Index Card states that he originally served as Private 5357 and 242623 then became a Lieutenant in the K.L.R.(Transport).

Frederick is remembered on the following Memorials:

Hall of Remembrance, Liverpool Town Hall, Panel 40

Southport Civic Memorial 

Waterloo with Seaforth Civic Memorial 

St Mary The Virgin Church, Waterloo

Liverpool University  

St Faith's Church, Crosby  

His father died in the March quarter of 1941 aged 80.

His mother died on 06th December 1953 in Haydock Lodge (Asylum), Newton-le-Willows, aged 84. 

We currently have no further information on Frederick Egerton Sanders, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.