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Email 2001
John Sanders
From: "John & Barbara Sanders"
Date: Sat, Jun 23, 2001.
Cc: "John Grant"
Subject: Denis Leader
Thank you both for the effort you have taken regarding my request for information on Denis Leader. I must admit that I did have my doubts at the outset. You asked about my knees John!!!!! . They are a bit like false teeth, they are functional but not as good as your own, before they went wrong. I wonder if you can connect me with the "'Sanders" mentioned on page 84 in J D. Spinney`s book, A School History.? Looking the through the 1939-1945 Roll of Honour, I notice that a large number my contemporaries lost their lives. I was a tail gunner in a Wellington which crashed on Nov 6 1941, I was trapped for 40 odd minutes. Three were killed and the damn thing was on fire. 3 of us were saved, the other 2 were eventually killed on operations. I spent nearly 12 months in hospital. In those days as soon you could walk you could fly. I was sent back to Wellingtons. I did not have enough bend and was transferred to Catalina flying boats after a lot of training. My crew was posted to Diego Suarez situated in the north of Madagascar. We flew our own aircraft to the Sqd's base. By the time I got to my Sqd, I was a Flying Officer, and was promoted to Flight Lieutenant and made the Sqd's Gunnery Leader and was sent to the ME to gunnery leaders course. O n my return to the UK I was grounded and did a course in Admin and Org. This led me to HQ Bomber Command as the Commands Release Liaison Officer. I left the R.A.F in 1947 and got a job as a company rep which lead to District Sales Manager and ended up as the Company Commercial Manager. I retired in Dec 1982. I was a Scout Leader. I ended up as an Asst. District Commissioner after 10 years. I had been a member of the RSL (Returned and Services League), and over the next 15 years I held every office and was granted Life Membership for all I did. I know that I have made a lot of mistakes - you must excuse them. I have nearly worn-out the Backspace Key as it is. I had a wee Stroke two months after I retired - the left hand, whilst strong the fingers do not do as they should. I have been on this email for 2 hours. Before I forget I have 6 great grandchildren . If I go on I will bore you both to tears. I'm off to bed as it is 10-15.
Regards
John Sanders (34-38)
From: John & Barbara Sanders
Date: Saturday, September 8, 2001.
Subject: Iwerne events this month.
Many thanks for your news re the September activities this month. I wish you a
successful time. I am afraid I cannot be there, due to the distance between us.
I am not allowed to fly owing to a lung condition. It would be great to have a
weekend at Clayesmore, and possibly meeting some of my contemporaries, but I
don't think there are many around! I have been in touch with Gavin MacLean, but
I haven't heard from him for sometime. However, when one is in their eighties,
one is a bit sheepish about writing and saying "how are you"?!
With every good wish,
John Sanders (34-38)