Sanders Memorial Scholarship

The Sanders Memorial Scholarship is a $5,000 annual award for students entering the first year of an undergraduate programme who are the children of a member of the Navy or Mercantile Marine Service. A sum of money has been generously placed at the disposal of the University of Auckland Council by the Trustees of the Sanders Memorial Fund upon the condition that the income arising from such fund will be employed in the provision and maintenance of Scholarships for the benefit of children of members of the Mercantile Marine Service or of the Royal Navy or of the Navy of any Commonwealth country and who are ordinarily resident in the Auckland Provincial District. This Scholarship will be a memorial to the late Lt. Commander W. E. Sanders, VC, DSO, RN. Lt. Commander Sanders was granted the Victoria Cross in recognition of his conspicuous gallantry, consummate coolness, and skill in command of one of His Majesty's ships in action. He was drowned in 1917 when his ship, the Prize (one of the 'mystery' or 'Q' ships) was lost with all hands as the result of an engagement with one or more enemy submarines. In 1998 the Scholarship's fund was augmented by Professor Graham Simpson, a former Sanders Memorial Scholar.