SANDERS, Victor George

War
1st World War
Date of Birth
Date Attested
Attested at
Penatang, Ontario
Regimental Number
644708
Rank
Private
Date of Death
Age at Death
29 years
Cenotaph
Biographical Summary

DIVISIONAL UNIT:        Canadian Army Medical Corps
SERVICE NO:                   644708
RESIDENCE:                    Penatang - Ontario        
DATE OF BIRTH:            May 24, 1889
                                             Exeter – Stepehn / Usborne Townships – County of Huron - Ontario
DATE OF DEATH:           June 27, 1918                       29 years
    MEMORIAL:                    Halifax Memorial – Halifax – Nova Scotia
MOTHER:                         Mrs. Ella Millson – Lambeth - Ontario    
Occupation:                        Drug Clerk                           Religion:     Church of England
Enlistment:                         March 18, 1916 – Penatang - Ontario
Enlistment Age:                 26 years     9 months

Private Sanders embarked from Canada on October 17, 1916 and arrived in England on the Ss Cameronia on 
October 28, 1916. While at Witley Camp on December 8, 1916 he transferred to the 116th Battalion. He was then Taken on Strength as the Assistant Director of Medical Services Sub-Staff in Bramshott and this was December 16, 1916. Then on January 19, 1917 he transferred to be Assistant Director of Medical Services at Witley Camp. On April 24, 1917 he was posted to No. 16 Canadian Field Ambulance. On March 21, 1918 he Was Taken on Strength with the Hospital Ship Llandovery Castle.
The Llandovery Castle was an unarmed hospital ship and marked as such on a return voyage from Canada to England. On board ship were Canadian medical personnel. The treaties of the day allowed an enemy vessel to board a hospital ship to make sure it was such vessel. In this case U-86 elected to torpedo the Llandover Castle. A number of lifeboats were lowered and these began to pick up survivors in the water. The captain of the submarine elected at this time to machine gun lifeboats and the survivors in the water. Only one lifeboat was located with living survivors.    
Following the war, the captain and the two other officers involved were charged with war crimes. The captain was never located and the two officers spent less than four months serving their sentences before they escaped. Of the 258 crew members and medical personnel on board only 6 medical personnel and 18 crew members survived this attack.
Private Sanders lost his life when his hospital ship was torpedoed and sunk.