In Newcastle upon Tyne (St. Andrew’s and Jesmond) Cemetery is the Commonwealth War Grave with a private headstone of Second Lieutenant Kenneth Saunders serving with the 16th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers who died 31/12/1914.
The headstone is a broken and reads:
Also
Kenneth Saunders
2nd Lieut.
16th Northbld. Fusiliers
Kenneth was educated at the Royal Grammar School until 1899. In 1901 he was residing at 39 Devonshire Place, Jesmond. He also was a member of the Newcstle Golf Club at Gosforth.
Kenneth Saunders was the son of George Brown Saunders, residing at 218 Osborne Road, Newcastle upon Tyne.
2nd Lieutenant Kenneth Saunders was killed riding a motor-bicycle with Lieutenant Arthur Ainslie Johnstone along the South Road, about 2 miles out of Alnwick. The machine skidded and both officers were flung violently to the ground. Both officers belonged to the 16th Battalion (Commercials) Northumberland Fusiliers who were being trained at Alnwick.
There was an inquest at Alnwick held by Mr Hugh J. Percy deputy coroner for North Northumberland, on the body of Second-Lieutenant Kenneth Saunders, 25 years of age, of the 16th (Newcastle Commercial) Northumberland Fusiliers. A verdict of accidental death was returned.
On New Year’s Eve they left Newton on the Moor about 6 o’clock at night to return to Alnwick. Saunders was driving a motor cycle, about 3 h.p., and he (Lieutenant Johnson) was seated behind him on the carrier.
The road was quite hard, but greasy on the surface, because of the atmosphere being between a thaw and a freeze.
When they got to Marriott’s Saw Mill bank, a little over two miles from Alnwick, they were going, he should think, about 20 or 25 miles as hour, but he could not exactly say. He had no recollection of the accident until he was being held in the arms of a man who had a van.
Robert Whilles, van man, Clayport, Alnwick, said that when he was coming to Alnwick a motor cycle passed him near to Newton Till Sheds. He did not think it was going extra fast. It would be about 10 minutes or a quarter of an hour after that when he got up to the scene of the accident. He first saw the cycle lying on the grass, and about 10 yards ahead Lieutenant Johnson was lying unconscious. He got assistance, and after Lieut. Johnson recovered consciousness, he went to lift the machine, and found Saunders, who, in his opinion, was dead. He was lying on his face with the bicycle on top of him. On the metalled part of the road there seemed to be no obstruction that would cause the bicycle to upset.
Acting Sergeant Townshend said the cycle was slightly damaged. The handle was twisted, and the tube of the front wheel was partly off, but not burst.
In Green Bat, near the mortuary, the firing party of 40 men were lined up in lines of two deep, and the 16th Service Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers were formed up on each side of the street. The body was taken to Newcastle Central Station and then was placed on a gun carriage and proceeded to St. Andrew’s Cemetery. The service was conducted by Rec. Canon Inskip vicar of Jesmond.
Kenneth Saunders died on the 31st December 1914.
Kenneth Saunders is remembered in Jesmond on J1.04, J1.08 and J1.19, at Gosforth G9.05 and in the Regimental History page 173.
