Private 40104 James William Sanders

Died of Wounds (Gas) on Tuesday, 18th June 1918, age 24.
Buried in Grave A. 11. at Cremona Town Cemetery, Cremona, Italy.

21st Bn., Manchester Regiment. 91st Brigade of 7th Division.
Formerly 22705 South Staffordshire Regiment.

Son of John and Mary Sanders, of 49, Church Vale, West Bromwich.
Born: Tipton, Enlisted: West Bromwich, Resident: West Bromwich.

First landed France & Flanders, post 31st December 1915.
Medal entitlement: British War Medal, Victory Medal.
Soldier's Papers at National Archives survived and transcribed.

Not commemorated on any Tipton memorial.
Commemorated here because identified as Tipton on 'Soldiers Died in the Great War'.

Link to Commonwealth War Graves Site: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/641915/

Genealogical Data

Birth of James William Sanders registered June quarter 1894 in Dudley. He was born on 22nd April 1894 at Court 10, New Road, Tipton. Mother nee Calloway.

1901 Census
1 Finchpath Terrace, Bridge Street, Wednesbury, Staffs.
John Sanders (32, Carter, born West Bromwich), his wife Mary (32, born Tipton) and their 4 children: Albert (10, born Tipton), Ellen (9, born Tipton), James W. (6, born Tipton), Joseph (3, born West Bromwich).

1911 Census
49 Church Vale, West Bromwich, Staffs.
John Sanders (43, Miner, born West Bromwich), his wife Mary (43, born Tipton) and their 7 surviving children of 10: Albert (20, Farm Wagonner, born Tipton), Ellen (19, born Tipton), James William (17, Cow Boy on Farm, born Tipton), Joseph (13, Errand Boy, born West Bromwich), Ernie (10, born Wednesbury), Archie (5, born West Bromwich) and Sarah (3, born West Bromwich).

Personal Data

James attested on 11th December 1915 under the Derby Scheme (correctly called the Group Scheme). This was introduced in October 1915 by the newly-appointed Director-General of Recruiting, Lord Derby (Edward Stanley) to resolve the fall-off in voluntary enlistment after Spring 1915. Under the Derby Scheme a man could either agree to enlist immediately, or attest with an obligation to come if called up later on. James was one of the latter and was given an armlet showing his Derby status, a day's army pay, and officially joined the Army Reserve. He was sent back to his normal life until called up according to a schedule based on marital status and age. As a single man born in 1894 this was Group 4 which was called up from 20th January 1916, but James was not called up until 25th March 1916.

James’s address was given as 49 Church Vale, West Bromwich. He was 21 years of age, 5 feet 6½ inches tall with a 35½-inch chest, and employed as a Farmhand. Initially he was allocated to the Depot battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment, but posted to their 4th Battalion on 4th April; they were training in Jersey.

James embarked for France on 2nd August 1916, arriving next day at No. 9 Infantry Base Depot (IBD) at Étaples. On the same day he was posted to the 1st Battalion, South Staffs. A month later, on 4th September 1916, he was transferred to the 21st Battalion, Manchester Regiment, who were in the same 91st Brigade of the 7th Division.

He is recorded as being wounded on 10th January 1917, but this was minor and he remained at duty. He had 10 days leave between 21st and 31st August 1917.

7th Division, which included the 21st Manchesters, was one of 5 British Divisions sent to Italy in late 1917 to bolster the flagging Italians after the Battle of Caporetto. James arrived in Italy on 6th January 1918; initially this must have seemed like heaven after their involvement in the Battle of Passchendaele.

After James’s death, his outstanding army pay and allowances amounted to £13/15/7d (13 pounds 15 shillings and 7 pence); this was paid to his mother, Mrs Mary Sanders, in May 1919. His War Gratuity was £9/10/0d (nine pounds and ten shillings), this was also paid to his mother in December 1919. The value of the War Gratuity and his date of death suggests that James had enlisted in April 1916.

James’s mother, Mrs Mary Sanders, was awarded a Dependant’s Pension of 10/6d (10 shillings and 6 pence) per week, effective from 24th December 1918. Her address at this time was still 49 Church Vale (still living there in 1921), but later moved to 29 Tunnel Road, Hill Top, West Bromwich, where she was living in 1939.

Action resulting in his death

The 21st Manchesters were part of 7th Division, one of the 5 British Divisions sent to Italy in late 1917 to prevent the collapse of Italy after the Austrian success at the Battle of Caporetto.

From March 1918, the 7th Division relieved Italian troops on the front line near Asiago. This was comparatively quiet until the Austrians attacked in force on 15th June in the Battle of Asiago; the 7th Division were the reserve Division on the Asiago Plateau. The battle commenced at 3.00am with an Austrian bombardment of the entire British front line and reserve areas, using high explosives, shrapnel and gas shells. The Allied line was penetrated to a depth of about 1,000 metres on 15th June but the lost ground was retaken the next day and the line re-established.

On the 15th June, 8 men of the 21st Manchesters were killed and all are buried in Granezza British Cemetery on the Asiago Plateau. James was seriously wounded during this bombardment, being recorded as “GSW head, leg and arm”. The term GSW means Gun Shot Wounds, which includes wounds from artillery fire.

He was treated at No.24 Casualty Clearing Station, then evacuated on No.30 Ambulance Train to No.29 Stationary Hospital at Cremona, about 150 miles from the Asiago Plateau. On arrival, James was recoded as ‘dangerously ill’ and died at Cremona on the 18th June 1918. As well as the significant Gun Shot Wounds, James appears to have suffered from the gas shelling as his death is recorded as “Gas Shell Burns”.

James is one of the 83 burials in the CWGC plot in the Cremona Town Cemetery. Next to him lies Suffolk man William Pipe, also of the 21st Manchesters, whose death is also recorded as due to ‘Gas Shell Burns’.

Newspaper Cuttings

West Bromwich Free Press, June or July 1918
WEST BROMWICH MAN DIES FROM WOUNDS.
Mrs W. Sanders, of 49, Church Vale, West Bromwich, has received the news that her son, Private J.W. Sanders of the Manchester Regiment, has died from wounds received in action on June 18th 1918 in a stationary hospital in Italy. Private Sanders, who was 24 years of age, had served two years and ten months in France and Italy and took part in many of the big battles. Prior to the outbreak of war, he was employed by Mr. W. Wilkes, Charlemont Farm, West Bromwich for a number of years. He has another brother serving in France.