SANDERS, Norman Hilton

NAME             SANDERS          Norman Hilton
RANK             Corporal                             4098                                                                                                                                 1st Canadian Army - II Canadian Corps - 3rd Canadian Infantry Division - 9th Infantry Brigade
REGIMENT    Highland Light Infantry of Canada
                       “defence not defiance”
                       Royal Canadian Infantry Corp                                                                                              Residence      Exeter - Ontario                                                                                                                              Born               September 3, 1919 - Exeter - Townships of Hay / Usborne - County of Huron - Ontario                Died               September 20, 1944          25 years
Cemetery       Calais Canadian War Cemetery - Leugringhem - Pas-de-Calais - France
                       5 E 9                                                                                                                                        Parents          Mr. Robert and Bessie Saunders - Exeter - Ontario                                                                Brothers         Mr. Gordon Sanders of Detroit - Michigan - USA                                                                                                        Mr. Robert Saunders of Simmie - Saskatchewan                                                                                                        Mr. Edward Saunders of Exeter - Ontario                                                                                    Sisters           Mrs. Cora Burns - Detroit - Michigan - USA                                                                                                                Mrs. Perla Guenther - Gary - Indiana - USA                                                                                                                Miss. Ella Sanders - Miami - Florida - USA                                                                                                                  Mrs. Hazel Johnson - Stratford - Ontario

Norman was born in Exeter on September 3, 1919, and as he grew up he read, fished, swam and hunted. He
was employed as a gas station attendant for his brother Edward until he enlisted. The family would have attended Exeter United Church.

Canada

On May 29, 1940 he traveled to London to enlist into the Canadian Army and was attached to the Royal Canadian Regiment Depot with the rank of Private. He stood 5' 8" and weighed 180 pounds. He had a light complexion with blue eyes and light hair. He was then sent to Camp Borden to No. 1 Infantry Rifle Training Centre on June 13. While at Camp Borden on July 17 he transferred to the HLI because he wanted to be overseas sooner than later. He was then sent to Debert - Nova Scotia before going overseas.

Overseas

Private Sanders was Struck Off Service of the Canadian Army in Canada and left Canada for overseas on July 20, 1941 and the following day he was Taken on Service with the Canadian Army overseas arriving in the United Kingdom at Gourock - Scotland  on July 29, 1941. He then proceeded to Talavara Barracks at Camp Aldershot - Hampshire - England. Norman’s nickname was “fat” and this stuck with him even when in the army.                      During 1942 / 1943 his training continued for those years. He received the rank of Lance Corporal in June of 1943.

In the Field

Lance Corporal Sanders embarked from the United Kingdom on June 4 and landed on Juno Beach on June 6, 1944.                                                                                                                                                                  During the D-Day landings Corporal Sanders and a buddy were in a house searching for Germans when the
house was hit by a shell and destroyed. “fats” was seen to emerge from the rubble with a large grin on his
face. When his Sergeant was injured he took over his platoon and led his men. Under his leadership they took
their objective and suffered the least casualties. On July 9 he reverted to the rank of Corporal.
In the evening of September 18th , “D” Company was able to push across the Liane river. The Regiment was in the Boulogne area and completing tasks in the peninsula. The key to Boulogne was Mount Lambert and this was a high rounded hill looking over the approaches to the city. The hill was heavily fortified with concrete shelters, pillboxes and gun positions. Many of these are
still there.
On the 20th of September, the Highland Light Infantry were to assault from the east against Mont Lambert, then secure a center of built up areas and if all went well secure a crossing over the Liane river, before the Germans could blow the bridges. Following that the objective was to move forward and capture strongpoints at Fort de la Creche, Outreau and Herquelingue and after that go on to capture Nocquet and the Heights of St. Etienne.
Four enemy gun positions were known and the objective was to clear the enemy from the vicinity and destroy those guns. They were also to clear out the north of Bolougne south of the river and destroy any gun positions there. “D” Company was to attack the guns and “C” was to advance north of the causeway and draw the enemy fire from "D" Company. "A" was to then pass through near "D” and then follow to help clear up. “A” Company had command of the 3" mortars.
Corporal Sanders and his platoon were probing the German defences on the assault of Boulogne when they
came under direct enemy fire, and he was killed instantly when shelling hit the house they had tried to take
shelter in.
At one point the Commander in Chief had awarded Corporal Sanders a certificate for bravery.                      Corporal Sanders was originally buried on October 2, 1944 at the Hardinghen Cemetery 

In the first month of 1945 his mother Bessie received the Memorial Cross. The family received the medals awarded to Norman in October of 1949 which included the 1939-45 Star, the France-Germany Star, the Defence Medal, the War Medal along with the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with clasp.

Norman is honoured and remembered on the Exeter Cenotaph, He is honoured and remembered on the Virtual Canadian War Memorial. He is honoured and remembered on the Memorial Plaque of the Regiment.

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