WW2 Submariners L R Saunders Hms Thistle Sunk By U-Boat Silver Medals

For sale is a set of silver hallmarked medals to L R Saunders who was a petty officer stoker onboard HMS Thistle when it was struck by a torpedo in 1940 with the loss of all souls onboard.  

  Leonard Rodger Saunders was the Son of John and Florence Saunders; husband of viola Eileen Gwendolyn Dorothea Saunders, of Hastings, Sussex.   Leonard was a Petty officer stoker in the Royal Navy, his service number was C/KX75319. He first service in the merchant navy in the late 1920s and then joined the Royal Navy in the early 1930s. Unfortunately whilst serving onboard H.M. Submarine Thistle Leonard was killed in action when his submarine was struck by U-4 on the 10th April 1940 aged 33 years of age. He is Remembered with Honour at CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL.    At 17.05 hours on 9 Apr, 1940, HMS Thistle (N 24)(LtCdr W.F. Haselfoot) missed U-4 with a spread of four torpedoes southwest of Stavanger, Norway. The Germans had observed one torpedo passing ten metres ahead and evaded further attacks by diving. Afterwards they managed to surprise the British submarine on the surtace some hours later and at 02.13 hours on 10 April fired a spread of two torpedoes. A G7a torpedo missed, but a G7e torpedo hit and sank the submarine with all hands near Skudenes.    U-4 sunk 3 allied ships sunk, total tonnage 5,133 GRT 1 warship sunk, total tonnage 1,090 tons. U-4 was Decommissioned 31 July 1944 in Gotenhafen (today Gdynia, Poland) and cannibalized for spare parts. In early 1945 hulk was towed west to Stolpmünde (today Ustka, Poland) and captured there by Soviet forces on 9 March 1945. Scuttled in late 1945 in Stolpmünde harbor by Russians after being inspected by the Tripartite Naval Commission (TC) on 28 August 1945. Raised by the Polish harbor authority in 1950 and broken up in 1951.   The first silver hallmarked cricket medal is engraved on the back “R.N.Bks inter room cricket finalists L Saunders 1928” and has the silver hallmarks for Chester 1928. The second silver hallmarked medal that is a football medal and is engraved “L.Saunders” and has the hallmarks for birmingham 1929. The third silver medal is engraved on the back stating “runners up 4th flotilla inter-submarine football 1937 l.Saunders” and has the silver hallmarks for birmingham 1935. The three sports silver hallmarked medals and chain weigh 45.97 grams and are in good condition.    Accompanying this medal is 13 scans of his service records & related history. Upon payment please let me know if you would prefer digital scans or printed copies. There is still plenty of research to be done on this medal!    These will be sent via royal mail 1st class signed for and dispatched within two working days.