As promised (or “threatened” depending on your viewpoint) here is the first instalment about a significant New Zealand sailor from the World War One era.
I would like to share with you the fascinating yet sad story of William Sanders.
William Edward Sanders was born in Auckland, New Zealand on the 7th of February 1883. His initial early years were spent at Alexander Street in the Auckland suburb of Kingsland. William’s parents were Edward Sanders a boot maker and his mother was Emma Sanders and he was one of four children. It’s recorded that one of his grandfathers was a sea captain and actively worked for the family’s shipping company.
William initially attended the Nelson Street School in 1894 however when his family moved to the Takapuna suburb on Auckland’s North Shore he started attending what is now known as Takapuna Primary School. Takapuna Primary School overlooks Lake Pupuke a natural water lake formed from a volcanic eruption and like so many other young men and women then and now William learnt how to sail small craft upon the lake.
It is also rumoured that while attending Takapuna Primary School he gained his nickname “Gunner Billy” after his exploits with a small cannon that a fellow classmate had brought to school. As an aside I wonder what a modern school would make of a student bringing a small cannon to school presumably for “show and tell”.
As was the norm in the day William left school at 15 and his parents obtained him a job at a Queen Street mercer despite him expressing a desire to go to sea. A “mercer” is defined in the freedictionary.com as “A dealer in textiles, especially silks.” certainly an occupation far removed from that of a seafaring one and certainly I imagine a relative risk free and a safe one from any mother’s perspective.
It was pretty fair to say that young William was not particularly fascinated by the profession of a mercer and he was often seen down at the Auckland wharves at every opportunity looking at the various ships at berth and chatting with the many seamen present.
The job as a ”mercer” did not last long because 2 or so years later in 1899 Sanders was a cabin boy on the small coastal steamer “Kapanui”. The “Kapanui” worked the coast north of Auckland and he became aware of the position on board the steamer via an officer on the ship whose acquaintance he had made.
Young William stayed with the company that owned and operated the “Kapanui” and in 1902 he joined the “Aparima” a ship operated by the Union Seam Ship Company and one which plied between New Zealand and India.
In 1906 he transferred to the “NZGSS Hinemoa” as an ordinary seaman. This ship was a government owned steamer whose role was to service the numerous lighthouses dotted along the New Zealand coastline and the various depots on the offshore islands scattered around the coast.
Thus far William had spent his short career working on steamers and wanting to experience sail so he joined the Craig Line. The true seafarers of the time deemed sail as far more skillful than steam and it was in the sail discipline that young William took his second and first mates certificates. Whilst with the Craig Line he served on the “Marjorie Craig”, the “Louise Craig”, and was mate of the baroque “Joseph Craig” when she founded and was wrecked on the Hokianga bar on the 7th of August 1914.
At this point the dark clouds of war had gathered and on the 28th of June 1914 World War One broke out and like so many other young men of the time Sanders was eager to participate in the conflict.
Our next instalment will cover the William Sanders endeavor’s to join the Royal Navy Reserve and get involved with the war.
Historical reference sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Edward_Sanders
An Encyclopedia of New Zealand 1966 edited by A. H. McLintock.
http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/1966/sanders-lieutenant-commander-william-edward-vc-dso-rnr
http://www.birkenheadrsa.com/vc-william-sanders.html
http://navymuseum.co.nz/worldwar1/people/lieutenant-commander-william-edward-sanders/
Thanks
Sean
