For cricketer see Desmond Anderson (cricketer)

Desmond Anderson (cricketer)

Desmond Anderson is an English first class cricketer who played for Oxford University Cricket Club.His highest score of 9 came in the match against Hampshire County Cricket Club. His best bowling of 2/68 came in the match against Worcestershire County Cricket Club.-External links:*...

Lieutenant-General Sir Desmond Francis Anderson, KBE

Order of the British Empire

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...

, CB

Order of the Bath

The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...

, CMG

Order of St Michael and St George

The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....

, DSO

Distinguished Service Order

The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...

 (1885–1967) was a British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 officer in both World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

 and World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

.

World War I

Having been commissioned into the Devonshire Regiment in 1905 Anderson transferred to the East Yorkshire Regiment

East Yorkshire Regiment

The East Yorkshire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army, first raised in 1685 as Sir William Clifton's Regiment of Foot. It saw service for three centuries, before being amalgamated with the West Yorkshire Regiment , becoming The Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of...

 in 1910. He served as Adjutant of his regiment from 1912 and then he went with the regiment to France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 in 1914 where he served until July 1917 in a number of combat and staff roles during which time he was wounded and received the DSO (in 1915). He was mentioned in dispatches

Mentioned in Dispatches

A soldier Mentioned in Despatches is one whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which is described the soldier's gallant or meritorious action in the face of the enemy.In a number of countries, a soldier's name must be mentioned in...

 four times and in 1920 received the French Legion d'honneur

Légion d'honneur

The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...

 for his wartime service.

Between the wars

After attending staff college, he was appointed Commanding Officer of 1st Bn East Yorkshire Regiment

East Yorkshire Regiment

The East Yorkshire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army, first raised in 1685 as Sir William Clifton's Regiment of Foot. It saw service for three centuries, before being amalgamated with the West Yorkshire Regiment , becoming The Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of...

 in 1927, Assistant Quartermaster General at Aldershot Command

Aldershot Command

-History:After the success of the Chobham Manoeuvres of 1853, a permanent training camp was established at Aldershot in 1854 on the recommendation of the Commander-in-Chief, Viscount Hardinge...

 in 1932 and General Staff Officer Grade 1 at 5th Division in 1933. He went on to be Deputy Director of Military Operations & Intelligence at the War Office

War Office

The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence...

 in 1934, Deputy Director of Military Intelligence at the War Office in 1936 and Major-General in charge of Administration for Eastern Command

Eastern Command (United Kingdom)

-History:The Command was established in 1905 from the Fourth Army Corps and was based in London. Among the formations raised under its supervision in World War I was the 12th Division. Its headquarters was initially located at Horseguards in London. During World War II the Command relocated to...

 in 1938.

World War II

At the start of the War Anderson was Major-General on the General Staff for the Home Forces. He became General Officer Commanding 45th Infantry Division in 1940 and then after a few months as Assistant Chief of the Imperial General Staff

Assistant Chief of the General Staff (United Kingdom)

-Responsibilities:The Assistant Chief of the General Staff supports the Chief of the General Staff in his responsibilities, sets the conditions for the British Army to contribute to success on operations, ensures coherence across the 'Defence Lines of Development' and develops the Army of the...

 at the War Office he became General Officer Commanding 46th (North Midland) Division.

He was promoted to command III Corps in December 1940. During 1942 he went to Baghdad

Baghdad

Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...

 where III Corps were part of Persia and Iraq Command

Persia and Iraq Command

The Persia and Iraq Command was a British Army Command established in September 1942 in Baghdad. Its primary role was to secure from land and air attack the oilfields and oil installations in Persia and Iraq...

's Tenth Army. In 1943 he transferred to command II Corps and he retired from the army in 1944.