Captain Alfred William Saunders (16 January 1888 – 22 May 1930) was an Irish
flying ace
A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ace is varied, but is usually co ...
of the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, credited with
twelve aerial victories.
He remained in the RAF post-war, serving until 1927.
Early life and background
Saunders was born in Dublin,
the son of Matthew J. Saunders, of
County Wicklow
County Wicklow ( ; ga, Contae Chill Mhantáin ) is a county in Ireland. The last of the traditional 32 counties, having been formed as late as 1606, it is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and the province of Leinster. It is bordered by t ...
.
World War I
Saunders was commissioned as a second lieutenant (on probation) in the
Royal Field Artillery
The Royal Field Artillery (RFA) of the British Army provided close artillery support for the infantry. It came into being when created as a distinct arm of the Royal Regiment of Artillery on 1 July 1899, serving alongside the other two arms of t ...
on 24 May 1915, serving in the
Gallipoli campaign before being confirmed in his rank on 9 February 1916. He then transferred to the Royal Flying Corps, receiving Royal Aero Club Aviator's Certificate No. 3283 after soloing a Maurice Farman biplane at Military School,
Catterick Bridge
Catterick Bridge is both a bridge across the River Swale in North Yorkshire, England, about 1 mile north of Catterick, and a hamlet at the south end of the bridge.
The bridge
The bridge carries the A6136 road (once the Great North Road). ...
, on 20 July 1916,
and was appointed a flying officer on 25 August.
On 1 July 1917 he was promoted to lieutenant in the Royal Field Artillery, but had to wait until 1 September until receiving the same step in the RFC. The following month he was posted to
No. 60 Squadron in France to fly the
S.E.5a single-seat fighter.
Saunders did not gain his first aerial victory until 10 May 1918, destroying a German
Pfalz D.III fighter aircraft. Six days later, an
Albatros D.V
The Albatros D.V is a fighter aircraft built by the Albatros Flugzeugwerke and used by the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' (Imperial German Air Service) during World War I. The D.V was the final development of the Albatros D.I family and the last Albatro ...
fell to his guns over
Beaulencourt
Beaulencourt () is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region in northern France.
Geography
A small farming village located 20 miles (32 km) south of Arras on the N17 road, at the junction with the D11. The ...
, France. On 23 May, he shared with Captain
James Belgrave in the destruction of another Albatros D.V over
Fricourt
Fricourt () is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France.
Geography
Fricourt is situated on the D147 and D64 junction, some northeast of Amiens.
History
Fricourt is about a kilometre from Mametz. It was close to ...
. On 9 June, the two men accounted for two
Hannover
Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German States of Germany, state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the List of cities in Germany by population, 13th-largest city in Germa ...
reconnaissance aircraft over
Arras
Arras ( , ; pcd, Aro; historical nl, Atrecht ) is the prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais Departments of France, department, which forms part of the regions of France, region of Hauts-de-France; before the regions of France#Reform and mergers of ...
, setting one afire and driving the other down out of control, and Saunders was an ace.
On 2 July 1918, Saunders fought his memorable action–one which would be cited as a reason for awarding him the DFC. He dived 8,000 feet, leading an attack by his flight of six upon six German fighters. Saunders shot one Pfalz D.III down, and two others collided while evading his assault. Saunders was credited for all three.
On 29 July, he was appointed a
flight commander with the temporary rank of captain, taking command of "A" Flight. On 1 August, Saunders vanquished one of the new
Fokker D.VII
The Fokker D.VII was a German World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz of the Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. Germany produced around 3,300 D.VII aircraft in the second half of 1918. In service with the ''Luftstreitkräfte'', the D.VII qui ...
s, sending it out of control over
Bapaume
Bapaume (original Dutch name Batpalmen) is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France.
The inhabitants of this commune are known as ''Bapalmois'' or ''Bapalmoises''.
Geography
Bapaume is a far ...
. A week later, it was the turn of a German reconnaissance two-seater to fall out of control over
Chaulnes
Chaulnes () is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France.
Geography
Chaulnes lies in the eastern part of the Somme department, 13 km north of Roye. The Chaulnes station is served by local trains between Am ...
. The next day, 9 August 1918, Saunders shot down two Fokker D.VIIs.
On 3 August 1918, he was awarded the
Distinguished Flying Cross. His citation read:
:Lieutenant Alfred William Saunders.
::"A gallant and determined officer whose fighting spirit and enthusiasm has been a splendid example to his squadron. On one occasion whilst leading his formation of six machines, he attacked six enemy aeroplanes. Diving from 11,000 to 3,000 feet, he singled out a group of three, and shot down one. He then engaged the other two, which in their endeavour to get away collided and crashed."
List of aerial victories
Post-war career
Saunders was transferred to the RAF's unemployed list on 31 October 1919, but was granted a short service commission with the rank of
flying officer on 12 December. He eventually relinquished his commission in the Royal Field Artillery on 1 April 1920. On 5 February 1923, he was transferred to the Reserve of Air Force Officers (Class "A"). On 16 December 1924, he then transferred to the "Class C" Reserves. On 5 February 1927, he relinquished his commission upon completion of service.
On 22 May 1930 Saunders was giving passenger flights in
Te Awamutu
Te Awamutu is a town in the Waikato region in the North Island of New Zealand. It is the council seat of the Waipa District and serves as a service town for the farming communities which surround it. Te Awamutu is located some south of Hamilto ...
, New Zealand, when his
de Havilland Gipsy Moth
The de Havilland DH.60 Moth is a 1920s British two-seat touring and training aircraft that was developed into a series of aircraft by the de Havilland Aircraft Company.
Development
The DH.60 was developed from the larger DH.51 biplane. ...
went into a
tail spin
''Tail Spin'' (also known as ''Tailspin'') is a 1939 aviation film. The screenplay was written by Frank Wead and directed by Roy Del Ruth. It was based on the book, "Women with Wings: A novel of the modern day aviatrix" (Ganesha Publishing, 193 ...
and crashed, killing his passenger instantly, while Saunders died from his injuries later.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saunters, Alfred William
1888 births
1930 deaths
Aviators from Dublin (city)
Royal Field Artillery officers
Royal Flying Corps officers
Royal Air Force personnel of World War I
Irish World War I flying aces
Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents in New Zealand
Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1930
Military personnel from Dublin (city)