WREN Ellen Saunders & parents

Discussion in 'War Cemeteries & War Memorial Research' started by Tonym, Jun 3, 2013.

  1. MHS69

    MHS69 Member




    Hi Mackan,

    Ellen(or Nellie as she was known) was my fathers sister. So it would be interesting to find out if we are distantly related. This particular branch of the Saunders family is very large.

    I've only just seen your post or I would have replied sooner. As you now know she was posted to HMS Dipper & was there from May 1944 until her death in August. It is a particularly sad tale in that Ellen had applied for & been granted compassionate leave to return home to see her father. George was home on leave himself for the first time in nearly 3 years and this is why the whole family were together when the V1 hit on that fateful night.

    IMG_6270.JPG This is the only picture we have of Nellie in uniform. Though we do have a few others of her with friends from her time at Mill Hill training camp. I did try to trace those WREN friends & to that end contacted the Association of Wrens who were going to print the pictures with her story in their Quarterly magazine, but for some reason the article never ran.

    Anyway with regards the 300+ Wrens who died during WW2 the research you are after has already been done I believe. Tony(Tonym) who started this thread has extensively researched & has records for over 4000 lost ladies(as he calls them) both military & civilian. Unfortunately his health is not what it once was (Tony needs help) and I am unsure what will become of his records, but maybe he can still help with information on these ladies so they won't be forgotten. Alas my health prevents me from being able to offer Tony my help regarding his records, but it would be criminal for them to be lost. Partly for the historical information contained within but especially after all the work he has done. I am unsure what started him on his quest but it would be nice if one day someone told his story & that of his research into these ladies.

    Whatever happens the research done by so many members of this forum is remarkable & as kin to two service personnel who gave their lives in WW2 I am extremely grateful to them & to all who continue to ensure they are never forgotten.

    Kind regards,

    Michelle
     
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  2. Mackan2017

    Mackan2017 Member

    Hello Michelle,

    Sorry for the late reply, I was in Tokyo on a professional course for most of February (3 weeks). Fantastic place, and so full of history. There are also memorials and reminders of WWII, all of which are held in the highest reverence. I stayed in a Company apartment that overlooked the bay, splendid view and I frequently saw Japanese (and American) warships.
    Thanks for the information that you've provided about Nellie, and the photo, it's very poignant. And I agree, it's a particularly sad tale, considering that both Nellie and her dad George were serving RN personnel who had met-up at home on leave.
    I'm hoping to get time to visit St Pancras Cemetery one day. Although I'm a Londoner born & bread, I don't get to spend much time there these days. My next planned (but not yet booked) visit is in summer 2017, probably in August.
    I'd really like to communicate (or even meet-up) with Tony, but given what he has written in his postings on these pages I think that it would be quite difficult. He mentions his 2 daughters, and I hope that they realise the significance of his hard work. Have you had a conversation with Tony, just out of curiousity? Feel free to mention my interest in his work if you are in contact with him.
    Yes......we may well be related, ever-so-distantly! That would take a whole lot of other research. As far as I can ascertain from my mother, the 2 branches of the Saunders family that she knows were from Walworth (Southwark) and Willesden. She'll have more news for me next time I visit her.
    Thanks again Michelle, it's a pleasure to hear from you and I'm glad that we share an interest in keeping alive the memories of those Wrens that were lost in WWII and indeed since. And of course the memories of all others that gave their lives.
    Best regards,
    Mackan.
     
  3. bobtt55

    bobtt55 Member

    Hello, Macken, I'm Bob Saunders, I'm the eldest surviving Grandchild of George & Ellen Saunders. Michelle is my Cousin. My Father & Michelle's father were the two surviving sons of the V1 hit. I did a lot of research into my late Grandparents & daughter Ellen's lives by way of educating the rest of our family, as we all grew up knowing little of what actually happened. After completing my research I wrote a book which is called 'Too Painful for Words' . It covers the family history from the late 1880's through George's call up the RN & Ellen's enlistment in the WRNS & finishes with the doodlebug incident. I also have in possession WRNS Ellen Saunders War Medals & documents provided to me by the MOD. It would be interesting to know if you are a distant relative. Can you share any information that would shed any light on the connection?
    regards
    Bob
     
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  4. Mackan2017

    Mackan2017 Member

    Hello Bob, I'm back on this page at last but sadly I have nothing concrete to report about any family connections. I was over in London in May and quizzed my mum about it, but she couldn't recall any of her family (Saunders) having any connections to the Hammersmith, White City or Shepherd's Bush areas. Apart from all the Saunders' that were in our area (Willesden, Harlesden, Dollis Hill) the only memory that she has of any other Saunders is from her childhood, when they used to visit some of her dad's family in the Elephant & Castle area, and some in Walworth. I have one other avenue to explore......my cousin Alan Saunders has done some deeper family research, so I'll contact him in the not-too-distant. I'll be back in UK again later in the summer.
    I have a question for you, if I may, which I have been curious about since I first heard about the Blaxland House incident and the naval connection. Were the boys, Jack & Roger (yours & Michelle's fathers), also at home with Ellen at the time of the hit? It seems miraculous that they could've survived unscathed?
    I'll be back again soon.
    Best regards,
    Mackan.
     

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