Roland James Saundercook was born January 25th, 1925 in Collins Bay, Ontario to Helen Bernice Saundercook (nee Yeomans) (1902-1962) and Bruce Madden Saundercook (1901-1962). Roland James had three siblings, an older brother Roy James Saundercook (1922), who died as an infant before Roland James was born, and two younger sisters, Joan Saundercook and Betty Saundercook.

Roland James joined the Royal Canadian Air Force and began training in Toronto as early as September 1942. He was given the service number 269079 and his trade was determined as air gunner. In late April 1944, he was sent overseas to the United Kingdom where he became part of the Royal Air force squadron 576. In this squadron he would have been based out of RAF Elsham Wolds, Lincolnshire until October 31, 1944, when the entire squadron relocated to RAF Fiskerton, Lincolnshire.

Roland James, with a rank of flight Sergeant, was an air gunner as part of the team that operated the Avro Lancaster plane identified as Lancaster I PB785. The other men on the specific team were Frank Edmond (pilot), John Eve (engineer), James Stanley Marks Gibbs (wireless op), William Frederick Nicol (navigator), Edward James Peverley (tail air gunner), and Donald Swallow Quinn (air bomber). During the evening of March 16th 1945, this team took off for a night flight, however they crashed in Germany March 17th leaving no survivors. Roland James Saundercook was 20 years of age. He and the other crew members are buried at DurnBach War Cemetery, Germany.