Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Military Service

Additional Information

Son of Allen and Sallie Saunders, of Louisville Kentucky; husband of Athleta Mae (née Hughes) of Detroit, Michigan, whom he married in Louisville on 27 July 1907. They had one son William Buford Saunders born on 6 June 1908. Frank enlisted at the age of 29, with the hope of making it as a cadet with the Royal Flying Corp. Failing that, he joined the Machine Gun Corp. After training in Canada and England, Frank went to France on 19 August 1918. There he joined the 1st Canadian Motor Machine Gun Brigade on 4 September 1918. "On September 26th, Frank's unit was given the task of seizing a bridgehead at Marquion, known as the attack on the Drocourt-Quéant Line. The unit positioned themselves North of Inchy, to the east of Arras on the evening of the 26th. Their assignment was to fire their machine guns at long range German targets for about two hours, starting at 0520 a.m. on the 27th. Seven men were killed this phase of the attack. By 11:00 a.m. the entire unit had crossed the Canal du Nord and were concentrated east of Sains-lez-Marquion. They stayed there for the night and lost one soldier for a total of 8 that day." Pte Frank Shipp Saunders was one of the eight soldiers killed in this action.

Commemorated on Page 496 of the First World War Book of Remembrance. Request a copy of this page. Download high resolution copy of this page.