Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Alastair was born on the River Derwent town of Derby, England on the 13th November 1902, the only son of C.A. Sanders. The family came to Australia with his parents settling in Geelong, Victoria.
In ’37 Alastair was working at Bordertown as the Kuitpo Colony Welfare Officer when he was involved in assisting with a challenging car accident near Tintinara. The rear tyre of the car, returning from the Melbourne Cup, blew out with the car somersaulting three times. Alastair, a doctor and nurse left Bordertown to help at the accident. Fortunately, the injured were airlifted to hospital and all survived.
Alastair met a very talented teacher, Mavis Pearce. She had attended Pirie High where she was just one of two students to gain her Leaving Certificate in ’24 and later taught at Solomontown Infant and Murray Bridge schools amongst others. She was also heavily involved in the Guiding movement, gaining her Ranger’s Badge from Mrs Baden-Powell. Mavis later lived in Plympton with the young couple announcing their engagement on the 7th December, ’39 while Mavis was teaching at Medindie. It was to be close to a year before they married. Mavis’ father, William John had, for several years worked in the railways at Pirie and then at the gantries. He became an invalid and retired to Largs Bay North. Sadly, he died late in December, just weeks after the young couple announced their engagement.
At this time, the ‘War to End All Wars’ had not fulfilled the promise of lasting peace and WWII was declared. Alastair answered the call, but prior to enlisting, he worked as a Warehouse Manager. He had previously served in the 10th Battalion Reserve, but was an early enlistee on the 2nd July ‘1940. He was allocated the number SX7464 and placed in the newly formed 2/48th Battalion.
Alastair’s early training was at Wayville, then at Woodside in the Adelaide Hills. He became friends with a fellow enlistee, SX8655 Norman Crocker from the Wayville training depot. Unfortunately, both men experienced a big loss of pay when they were caught ‘catching up’ and making a false declaration at the Hotel Adelaide, Pirie Street on October 18. Each was fined £3 with 10/ costs for having obtained liquor during prohibited hours (10:25pm). Both defendants were also fined £6 with 10/ costs for having made false declarations that they were bona-fide travellers. It was not quite the celebration they had planned prior to Alastair’s wedding. He and Mavis married on the 22nd October 1940.
The News carried the announcement: Bride Tomorrow: The marriage of Mavis, younger daughter of Mrs. L. Pearce, of Anzac Highway, Plympton Park, and of the late Mr. Pearce and Alastair James, only son of the late Mr. and Mrs. A. Sanders. will be celebrated at Maughan Church tomorrow. 5 pm.
Within days, both young soldiers, Norman and Alastair, who had celebrated Alastair’s wedding, boarded the Stratheden in November, arriving in the Middle East on December 17th. Alastair was unfortunate to spend four days in the ship’s hospital during the crossing. Almost immediately following his arrival, initial training was at Dimra where he was promoted to Corporal in mid-December. The following month he was further promoted to Acting Sergeant and undertook Weapons Training School studies, later that year followed by Intelligence School. Circumstances were not listed or reported in regular injury updates, but Alastair was accidentally injured with a fractured toe and foot in June ‘41
Within two months of arriving in the Middle East Alastair’s battalion faced what would become the extended strategic battle of Tobruk. He was also to become one of the highly regarded Rats of Tobruk. The term was originally designed to destroy the morale of the troops and encourage them to surrender. It had the opposite effect with the men seizing the unofficial title as a badge of honour.
Alastair sustained a further injury when he fractured his wrist in February ’42, returning home in April. Back in South Australia he attended Infantry School and Camp on the Adelaide Oval in July that year, before returning to the site of his early training at Woodside. There he was promoted to Acting Warrant Officer I in February ’43. Just months later, he and Mavis welcomed the arrival of their son in May ’43, born at the Memorial Hospital.
Warrant Officer Alexander was found to have an old fracture to his pelvis, which perhaps contributed to some health issues. He boarded at Wayville from July ’44 until he was discharged on the 15th March ’46. He and Mavis lived in Hill Street, North Adelaide. He died a week after his 70th birthday on the 24th November 1972 with his cremated remains placed at Centennial Park Cemetery.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee daughter of Bryan Holmes, SX8133, 2/48th Battalion.