Richard Anderson (British Army officer)
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant General Sir Richard Neville Anderson KCB CBE DSO
(1907–1979) was a British Army
General who achieved high office in the 1960s.
in 1927 He was deployed to Palestine
between 1938 and 1939.
He served in World War II
as Deputy Assistant Military Secretary at the War Office
and then as Commander
of 2nd Infantry Brigade in Italy
.
After the War he returned to Palestine
and then became General Officer Commanding
17th Gurkha Division
in 1955. He was General Officer Commanding
Overseas Forces in Malaya
in 1957 and then Vice Adjutant General at the War Office
from 1958. He was appointed General Officer Commanding
-in-Chief Middle East Land Forces in 1960 and General Officer Commanding
-in-Chief Northern Ireland Command in 1963; he retired in 1965.
He lived at Tarrant Keynston House near Blandford in Dorset
.
In 1942 he married Dorrie Norah Wybergh. The couple had two sons.
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...
(1907–1979) was a British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
General who achieved high office in the 1960s.
Military career
Born the son of Colonel Sir Neville Anderson CBE, Richard Anderson was commissioned into the King's Own Royal RegimentKing's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster)
The King's Own Royal Regiment was an infantry regiment of the line of the British Army, which served under various titles from 1680 to 1959. Its lineage is continued today by the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment.-History:...
in 1927 He was deployed to Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
between 1938 and 1939.
He served in 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...
as Deputy Assistant Military Secretary 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...
and then as Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
of 2nd Infantry Brigade in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
After the War he returned to Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
and then became General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding is the usual title given in the armies of Commonwealth nations to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC II Corps or GOC 7th Armoured Division...
17th Gurkha Division
17th Gurkha Division
The 17th Gurkha Division was a British military formation that saw active service during Malayan Emergency.-History:The Division was formed in 1952 in response to the Malayan Emergency. It pepetuated the traditions of the former 17th Indian Infantry Division which had used a Black Cat as its emblem...
in 1955. He was General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding is the usual title given in the armies of Commonwealth nations to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC II Corps or GOC 7th Armoured Division...
Overseas Forces in Malaya
Federation of Malaya
The Federation of Malaya is the name given to a federation of 11 states that existed from 31 January 1948 until 16 September 1963. The Federation became independent on 31 August 1957...
in 1957 and then Vice Adjutant General 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...
from 1958. He was appointed General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding is the usual title given in the armies of Commonwealth nations to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC II Corps or GOC 7th Armoured Division...
-in-Chief Middle East Land Forces in 1960 and General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding is the usual title given in the armies of Commonwealth nations to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC II Corps or GOC 7th Armoured Division...
-in-Chief Northern Ireland Command in 1963; he retired in 1965.
He lived at Tarrant Keynston House near Blandford in Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
.
In 1942 he married Dorrie Norah Wybergh. The couple had two sons.
Honours and awards
- Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath 10 June 1961 (CB 1 January 1957)
- Commander of the Order of the British Empire 7 January 1949
- Distinguished Service OrderDistinguished Service OrderThe 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...
7 December 1944, 28 June 1945 - Mentioned in Despatches 15 September 1939
- Honorary Fellow, Institute of Civil Defence, 1966