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THE LONELY BOY Samuel Sanders was a son of a soldier and when he was eight years old his father passed away, leaving his mother a widow and Sam without a father. It was the early 1930's life was hard for everyone, more so for a family without a man to earn a few shillings. Sam’s mother had very small widow's pension and to help out her small income she took in washing from neighbours, because of this Sam's mother had very little time to spare for him, she was up very early each morning washing and scrubbing clothes and late to bed, tired and weary after a hard days toil. The days at school were hard for young Sam, he was a loner from day one finding friends proved to be impossible for him, the boy wore hand me down clothes even his shoes once belonged to the girl up the street and everyone knew it. Sam was ten years old when he got a job in the local bakery, he was up at 4-30am and in the bakery by 5am, cleaning trays then putting grease on them ready for the bread rolls. Sam worked hard and the baker showed Sam how to turn dough in the palm of his hand to make the bread rolls. Sam went home at 7:30am and made his own breakfast, his mother was already hard at work with her washing. Sam walked the two miles to school, there was no money to spare for the tram, his two shillings (10p) from the bakery went to help his mother. There were no toys except a railway engine with a broken spring. There were no lines to run it on, or carriages to pull freight to the dock's or the Royal Mail to other parts of the country. At 12 years Sam showed promise in sport, he could run like a greyhound. He was the winner of the 100 yards Sprint, he was number one in the relay in fact Sam was top of any sport where speed was necessary. However, Sam remained a loner, he never made friends, even when other boys made the attempt, he lived for his own company. At the age of 14 years when he could leave school to become a train driver or baker, he wanted to be a soldier like his father. His ambition to become a soldier was his secret, Sam knew his mother would never allow him to follow in his father's footsteps for what had it brought her, only pain. Oh yes she had been to Germany and to India, but in that ambush in India Sam's father had been wounded and that later on put paid to the romance of army life. So to please his mother, Sam, who helped out at the bakery, at 14 years left school and was offered a job helping the Baker full time for 10 shillings (50p) a week. At 16 years old Sam joined the local Territorial Army Unit, Sam put on his age, and looking that part he was accepted. There was a problem when he got his uniform and kit, he could not take it home, his mother would explode. With no friends he needed somewhere to change and store his kit, the baker supplied the answer, the storeroom, it was dry and his kit would be safe. Although Sam had very little to say for himself, the baker liked him, clean, willing and a hard worker, he could not ask for more of an employee. Sam enjoyed the training nights, and the annual camps, his mother believed he was at the seaside for two weeks holiday. Sam the part time soldier became a sergeant at 18 years (the records showed he was 20 years) he was a born leader, tough, understanding and above all, although he was known as the loner, his men and officers respected him. War clouds were gathering, its only 21 years since the ‘Great War’ which ended in 1918, now it is 1939 and war is only months away. Sam was called to arms, his mother, who in the last 10 years had worked so hard to keep a roof over their heads, realised her Sam had grown up, and become the soldier she had forbidden him to be. Suddenly Sam was gone. Sam’s Unit was on standby, 48 hours leave was granted and Sam went home to see his mother, smartly dressed as a sergeant in a uniform she had never seen him in. Sam walked into his home, his mother thought it was his father, how much Sam looked like his father. There were tears in her eyes and fear in her heart, her boy was now a man, who was about to go to war, she had spent so little time with him as he grew up, now it was too late, oh where had the time gone?. Sam rejoined his unit and the following Sunday, September 3rd 1939 Neville Chamberlain, the Prime Minister, told the country we were at war with Germany. A few days later Sam’s unit went to war and landed in France, and moved up to the front and dug in awaiting the enemy. Patrols went out to collect information, the strength and position of the Germans. The months dragged on with no contact with the enemy, and so it went on into 1940. Then on May 10th the German army began the invasion of Belgium, Holland, and France and all hell was let loose. Bombardments and fighter planes attacked Sam’s unit. The bombers made a screaming noise which put great fear into everyone as they came in machine-gunning and dropping bombs. The enemy attacked in force and Sam’s unit took the full force of the onslaught, although there were heavy casualties they held their ground. There was no doubt another attack like the last and the enemy would break through. It was decided to withdraw under cover of darkness and dig in once more. Heavy fighting came two days later, German Panzer (Armour) broke through the F.D.Ls (Forward Defence Lines) all along the front and German infantry poured through the gaps meeting stiff resistance with hand-to-hand fighting. Sam was in the thick of it, he seemed to be everywhere, giving encouragement and rallying his section again and again. Suddenly the enemy were pulling back, no doubt they would consolidate for another push forward. The General Commanding Sam’s Division decided to pull back further, this would give the other Division a chance to reform. There was chaos everywhere. The roads were blocked with refugees trying to escape. The German Stukas continued to machinegun, and bomb anything and everything on the roads, which caused panic and bottleneck jams, blocking the movement of troops. Major Brown, Sam’s Company Commander, was ordered to dig in on a farm which gave a commanding position over a vital river bridge. If there were any doubts before, there were none now. Sam’s Division was falling back the bridge was the escape route, not only Sam’s Division but many others. Troops and equipment were pouring across the bridge, which was protected not only by Major Brown’s Company, but Gunners from the Royal Artillery with 40mm Bofor Guns against air attack.. At last the main bulk of troops crossed and there only remained the Units covering the retreat, because that is what it was now. A Lieutenant from the Royal Engineers arrived with about 12 men, reporting to Major Brown that they were going to fix demolition charges to the bridge, ready to blow it up,when given the order that all Units had crossed. Major Brown’s men were dug in and around the bridge to give covering fire until the bridge was blown. Heavy fighting could now be heard as the Germans advanced towards the bridge, with our troops falling back across it. The Engineers had completed their task, the bridge was ready for blowing up, the moment the last of the rearguard troops had crossed it. Although shelling was heavy from the Germans, none fell near the bridge, they wanted that vital road bridge. As the remainder of the troops crossed the bridge, heavy small arms fire followed them. Major Browns men opened up to give covering fire, with the Germans trying to rush the bridge. As the last man crossed the bridge the Royal Engineers Lieutenant fired the charge and the bridge collapsed into the river. All hell was let lose from the German side heavy shelling now went on around the bridge. Major Brown’s mortars and heavy machine guns replied to cover the Royal Artillery, and the Royal Engineers retreat. A prearranged plan was put into operation, to allow all but a few of Major Browns men to pull back to the new position, the remaining men were there to cover the withdrawal, who in turn were recovered from the rear, to allow them to fall back. These tactics were used in the retreat, to the only port still open, Dunkirk, the roads leading to it were covered by Units whose job was to fight a rearguard action. One of these Units was Sam’s, Sam with his section was given the task of covering one of the escape routes. Lorries that had run out of petrol, were manhandled to a position to close an area beside the road. Sam and his section dug in as troops poured through the gap, making for the beaches, where it was hoped that many could escape back to England, as operation "Dynamo" was put into action, (Dynamo code word for massive evacuation of troops from Dunkirk). Sam and his section knew there would be no escape for them, and they would have to fight hard to protect their piece of road. Major Brown came and visited Sam and his section, he told Sam that it was important that he hold out as long as possible, to enable the evacuation to be carried out. Sam and his section waited, the troops passing through got less, until only those committed to delaying tactics passed through, and now it will be the enemy. A small number of Germans were spotted, no doubt a patrol on a probing mission. Sam told his men to hold their fire until the last moment, they then opened fire with deadly effect. The Germans wanted the road, and Sam would make sure they paid dearly for it. The Germans brought up heavy machine guns which began to take a toll of Sam’s section, how long could they hold out came the message over the radio, Sam replied, no more than 30 minutes. In fact it was 40 minutes, long enough for those behind Sam to move to another defence position, but the price was heavy, all of Sam’s section were either killed or badly wounded, the last anyone saw of Sam’s section was Sam himself, all alone, though badly wounded, he was seen standing with a bren gun, firing from his hip until he ran out of ammunition, and he raised his fist in defiance, then he was cut down. Sam’s mother was told that he had been killed in action, and later the citation read:- Samuel Sanders, Sergeant, Light Infantry, although badly wounded inspired his men by his leadership, and whose actions continued until he was alone holding the enemy at bay standing and firing his brengun from the hip until he was out of ammunition. He fell mortally wounded. For courage beyond the call of duty he has been awarded the Victoria Cross (Posthumous). When asked by reporters what sort of boy Sam had been, she replied, "He was a lonely Boy" Sam died that way.
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