Company Sgt-Major Alfred Saunders, 112, 2nd Battalion, King's Royal Rifles, died of wounds sustained in action in Flanders on November 24th, 1915.

Born in Winchester, Hampshire, he spent much of his childhood in Studham, where mother Emily was still living. His sister Ellen had married Frederick G. Smith in 1912 and was living in Holly Street, Luton.

Alfred had married Linda Malin, from Burton-on-Trent, Staffs, on October 9th, 1911, in Folkestone, Kent, where his wife and young son David Malin Saunders (born July 16th, 1912) were living at the time of his death.

His wife had travelled to Victoria Station in London on November 25th to meet her husband when he was due to come home on leave. When he did not arrive, her worst fears were confirmed when she later learned he had died  the day before from a bullet wound to the head.

CSM Saunders had served in the KRR for 18 years, having enlisted as a bugler at the age of 14. His father Alfred had served in the same regiment for over 23 years, including in the Zulu Wars.

The 32-year-old Alfred also served in South Africa during the Boer War, and was the youngest boy in Ladysmith when that city was besieged. Subsequently he accompanied Boer prisoners to Ceylon, and afterwards saw service in India.

When the Great War broke out he was among the first batch of British troops to be sent to France in August 1914 and was in the thick of fighting from the first. He last came home on a few days' leave in November 1914.