William Anderson (RAAF officer)
Encyclopedia
Air Vice-Marshal
William Hopton (Bill) Anderson CBE
, DFC
(30 December 1891 – 30 December 1975) was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force
(RAAF). He flew with the Australian Flying Corps in World War I, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross
and the Belgian Croix de guerre
, and leading Nos. 3
and 7 Squadrons
. Anderson commanded the Australian Air Corps during its brief existence in 1920, before joining the fledgling RAAF the following year. Between the wars he primarily held posts on the Australian Air Board, and was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1934. During World War II he again served on the Air Board, interspersed with leadership of Central and Eastern Area Command
s. In 1940 he acted as Chief of the Air Staff between the resignation of Air Vice-Marshal Stanley Goble
in January and the arrival of Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Burnett
, RAF
the next month. Anderson was Commandant of the RAAF Staff School from 1944 until his retirement in 1946. He died in 1975.
, Victoria, Bill Anderson was the third son of surveyor Edward Anderson, from England, and his wife Florence, a native Victorian. The youth was educated at Melbourne Church of England Grammar School
, where he joined the cadet corps
. He commenced his professional military career as an officer with the Royal Australian (Garrison) Artillery in December 1910, before transferring to the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force
, based at Rabaul
in what was then German New Guinea
, in March 1915. The following January, Anderson joined the Australian Flying Corps (AFC) as a captain, serving with No. 1 Squadron
in Palestine
. He was posted to No. 3 Squadron
(designated No. 69 Squadron Royal Flying Corps
by the British) in August 1917, operating Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8
reconnaissance aircraft on the Western Front
.
Anderson was spotting for artillery near the Messines Ridge
on 6 December 1917 when he engaged a German DFW
that his observer, Lieutenant
John Bell, was able to shoot down; it was No. 3 Squadron's first confirmed "kill
". In January 1918, Anderson was given the temporary rank of major and posted to England to take charge of No. 7 (Training) Squadron AFC
. He was recommended for the Military Cross
on 12 March for his service with No. 3 Squadron in France, the citation noting his "resolute fight" and "cool and capable flying" in evading attacks by enemy aircraft and successfully carrying out his reconnaissance missions. In the event, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross
in the King's Birthday Honours, promulgated in the London Gazette
on 3 June, and later the Belgian Croix de guerre
, gazetted on 9 July. He went back to France in October 1918 as Commanding Officer
of No. 3 Squadron.
(CFS) at Point Cook, Victoria. On 31 March 1921, he joined the newly formed Australian Air Force (the "Royal" prefix being added in August) as a squadron leader
, becoming its third-most senior officer after Williams and former Royal Naval Air Service
pilot Stanley Goble
, who were both now wing commanders
. During 1921, Anderson headed up the RAAF's Point Cook base and its two major units, No. 1 Flying Training School
(No. 1 FTS)—the successor to CFS—and the newly established No. 1 Aircraft Depot (No. 1 AD). Over the next four years he acted as Director of Personnel & Training, Chief of the Administrative Staff, and Second Air Member on the RAAF's controlling body, the Air Board, when Goble was away on overseas postings. In April 1922, he took part in the new service's first army cooperation exercise, piloting an Airco DH9 with Flight Lieutenant Adrian Cole
, who spotted for artillery firing from an emplacement at Queenscliff
, Victoria. A year later, Anderson proposed a special RAAF workshop for research and development, which was duly established at Point Cook later that year.
The young Air Force staged numerous public displays in its early years; on one such occasion over the Melbourne suburb of Essendon
in September 1924, Anderson, Ray Brownell
and another pilot took part in a mock dogfight while ace
Harry Cobby gave a demonstration of balloon busting
. During 1925–26, Anderson again took command of No. 1 FTS, as well as occupying a position on the Air Board as Air Member for Personnel. He was posted to England between 1927 and 1929, attending RAF Staff College, Andover
and serving as Air Liaison Officer to the British Air Ministry
. On 23 March 1927 he was promoted to wing commander. Returning to Australia in mid-1929, Anderson was for a short time in charge of No. 1 AD, now based at RAAF Station Laverton
, Victoria, before appointment to the Air Board as Air Member for Supply in October. He spent most of the 1930s in this position, aside from an acting role as Air Member for Personnel in 1933–34, and attendance at the Imperial Defence College
, London, the following year. Anderson had no formal training in the supply field, and though regarded with affection was variously considered "not quite on the same wave length as others" and "so immersed in the minutiae of administration that some important policy matters languished". His chronic shyness with women other than his unmarried sister also made him an object of fun in some quarters. He was raised to group captain
in December 1932 and air commodore
in January 1938. Appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1933 King's Birthday Honours, he was promoted to Commander in the same order (CBE) in the 1934 New Year Honours
.
, seconded from the Royal Air Force
, arrived to take over. The Australian government at this stage had so little faith in the leadership of its Air Force that it had briefly considered offering temporary command of the service to a Royal Australian Navy
officer, Second Naval Member Commodore
Maitland Boucher, before deciding against such a "monumental slight to the senior ranks of the RAAF" and settling on Anderson. After relinquishing his temporary position as CAS, Anderson briefly reverted to his previous role as Air Member for Supply before taking over as Air Member for Personnel in March 1940. Later that year he became the inaugural commander of RAAF Central Area, which covered most of New South Wales
, and remained at this post until August the following year. Promoted acting air vice-marshal
in September 1941, he resumed his position on the Air Board by replacing Air Marshal Williams as Air Member for Organisation and Equipment.
In May 1942, Anderson assumed command of the newly formed RAAF Eastern Area
, which was headquartered in Sydney and controlled seven squadrons from southern Queensland
to southern New South Wales. One of the area's main roles was anti-submarine warfare
; its complement also included fighters and army cooperation aircraft. Between November 1943 and October 1944, Anderson again held the position of Air Member for Personnel, before he was made the inaugural Commandant of the RAAF Staff School at Mount Martha
, Victoria. He continued in this role until being forcibly retired, along with a number of other senior Air Force commanders, in April 1946, ostensibly to make way for yonger and equally qualified officers. Following his discharge from the RAAF, Anderson lived in East Melbourne
. A lifelong bachelor, he shared a house with his sister, who also remained unmarried. From 1947 until 1971, he served as honorary chairman of the Victorian branch of the Services Canteens Trust Fund. On 31 March 1971, he was among a select group of surviving founder members of the RAAF who attended a celebratory dinner at the Hotel Canberra
to mark the service's Golden Jubilee
; his fellow guests included Air Marshal Williams, Air Vice-Marshal Henry Wrigley
, Air Commodore Hippolyte (Frank) De La Rue
, and Wing Commander Sir Lawrence Wackett
. Bill Anderson died on his birthday in 1975, and was buried in Boroondara Cemetery
, Kew.
Air Vice-Marshal
Air vice-marshal is a two-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in...
William Hopton (Bill) Anderson CBE
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...
, DFC
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
(30 December 1891 – 30 December 1975) was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
(RAAF). He flew with the Australian Flying Corps in World War I, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
and the Belgian Croix de guerre
Croix de guerre
The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
, and leading Nos. 3
No. 3 Squadron RAAF
No. 3 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force fighter squadron. It was first formed in 1916 and currently operates F/A-18 Hornet aircraft from RAAF Base Williamtown, near Newcastle, New South Wales.-World War I:...
and 7 Squadrons
No. 7 Squadron RAAF
No. 7 Squadron was a Royal Australian Air Force flying training squadron of World War I and medium bomber squadron of World War II. The Squadron was first formed in October 1917 and was disbanded in December 1945 after seeing action during the Pacific War....
. Anderson commanded the Australian Air Corps during its brief existence in 1920, before joining the fledgling RAAF the following year. Between the wars he primarily held posts on the Australian Air Board, and was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1934. During World War II he again served on the Air Board, interspersed with leadership of Central and Eastern Area Command
RAAF Air Command
Air Command is the operational arm of the Royal Australian Air Force . It is headed by the Air Commander Australia, whose role is to manage and command the RAAF's Force Element Groups , which contain the operational capability of the Air Force...
s. In 1940 he acted as Chief of the Air Staff between the resignation of Air Vice-Marshal Stanley Goble
Stanley Goble
Air Vice Marshal Stanley James Goble CBE, DSO, DSC was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force . He served three terms as Chief of the Air Staff, alternating with Wing Commander Richard Williams...
in January and the arrival of Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Burnett
Charles Burnett (RAF officer)
Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Stuart Burnett KCB, CBE, DSO was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force during the first half of the 20th century. During the Second World War, he served as Chief of the Air Staff of the Royal Australian Air Force.-Early life:Charles Burnett was born in Browns...
, RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
the next month. Anderson was Commandant of the RAAF Staff School from 1944 until his retirement in 1946. He died in 1975.
Early life and World War I
Born on 30 December 1891 in KewKew, Victoria
Kew is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 6 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Boroondara. At the 2006 Census, Kew had a population of 22,516....
, Victoria, Bill Anderson was the third son of surveyor Edward Anderson, from England, and his wife Florence, a native Victorian. The youth was educated at Melbourne Church of England Grammar School
Melbourne Grammar School
Melbourne Grammar School is an independent, Anglican, day and boarding school predominantly for boys, located in South Yarra and Caulfield, suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
, where he joined the cadet corps
Australian Army Cadets
The Australian Army Cadets is a youth organisation that is involved with progressive training of youths in military and adventurous activities. The programme has more than 19,000 Army Cadets between the ages of 12½ and 19 based in 236 units around Australia...
. He commenced his professional military career as an officer with the Royal Australian (Garrison) Artillery in December 1910, before transferring to the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force
Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force
The Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force was a small volunteer force of approximately 2,000 men, raised in Australia shortly after the outbreak of the First World War to seize and destroy German wireless stations in German New Guinea in the south-west Pacific...
, based at Rabaul
Rabaul
Rabaul is a township in East New Britain province, Papua New Guinea. The town was the provincial capital and most important settlement in the province until it was destroyed in 1994 by falling ash of a volcanic eruption. During the eruption, ash was sent thousands of metres into the air and the...
in what was then German New Guinea
German New Guinea
German New Guinea was the first part of the German colonial empire. It was a protectorate from 1884 until 1914 when it fell to Australia following the outbreak of the First World War. It consisted of the northeastern part of New Guinea and several nearby island groups...
, in March 1915. The following January, Anderson joined the Australian Flying Corps (AFC) as a captain, serving with No. 1 Squadron
No. 1 Squadron RAAF
No. 1 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force squadron based at RAAF Amberley. The squadron is currently being re-equipped with F/A-18F Super Hornet multi-role fighters.-World War I:...
in 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....
. He was posted to No. 3 Squadron
No. 3 Squadron RAAF
No. 3 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force fighter squadron. It was first formed in 1916 and currently operates F/A-18 Hornet aircraft from RAAF Base Williamtown, near Newcastle, New South Wales.-World War I:...
(designated No. 69 Squadron Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
by the British) in August 1917, operating Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8
Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8
The Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8 was a British two-seat biplane reconnaissance and bomber aircraft of the First World War designed by John Kenworthy. Intended as a replacement for the vulnerable B.E.2, the R.E.8 was more difficult to fly, and was regarded with great suspicion at first in the Royal...
reconnaissance aircraft on the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
.
Anderson was spotting for artillery near the Messines Ridge
Mesen
Mesen is a city located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality only comprises the town of Mesen proper. On January 1, 2006, Mesen had a total population of 988. The total area is 3.58 km² which gives a population density of 276 inhabitants per km².Mesen is the smallest city in...
on 6 December 1917 when he engaged a German DFW
DFW C.V
-External Links:*...
that his observer, Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
John Bell, was able to shoot down; it was No. 3 Squadron's first confirmed "kill
Catastrophic kill
A catastrophic kill, K-Kill or complete kill refers to damage inflicted on a vehicle by a weapon that renders it both unusable and unrepairable whereas a "knocked out" vehicle is completely inoperable but not beyond repair...
". In January 1918, Anderson was given the temporary rank of major and posted to England to take charge of No. 7 (Training) Squadron AFC
No. 7 Squadron RAAF
No. 7 Squadron was a Royal Australian Air Force flying training squadron of World War I and medium bomber squadron of World War II. The Squadron was first formed in October 1917 and was disbanded in December 1945 after seeing action during the Pacific War....
. He was recommended for the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
on 12 March for his service with No. 3 Squadron in France, the citation noting his "resolute fight" and "cool and capable flying" in evading attacks by enemy aircraft and successfully carrying out his reconnaissance missions. In the event, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
in the King's Birthday Honours, promulgated in the London Gazette
London Gazette
The London Gazette is one of the official journals of record of the British government, and the most important among such official journals in the United Kingdom, in which certain statutory notices are required to be published...
on 3 June, and later the Belgian Croix de guerre
Croix de guerre
The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
, gazetted on 9 July. He went back to France in October 1918 as Commanding Officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
of No. 3 Squadron.
Inter-war years
Anderson returned to Australia in March 1919. In December that year the Australian Flying Corps was disbanded, to be replaced on 1 January 1920 by the short-lived Australian Air Corps (AAC) which was, like the AFC, a branch of the Army. The AFC's senior officer, Lieutenant Colonel Richard Williams, was still in England, and Major Anderson was appointed commander of the AAC, a position that also put him in charge of Central Flying SchoolCentral Flying School RAAF
The Central Flying School RAAF is a Royal Australian Air Force training establishment, based at RAAF Base East Sale. It was formed in March 1913, and during the First World War it trained over 150 pilots, who fought in Europe and the Middle East....
(CFS) at Point Cook, Victoria. On 31 March 1921, he joined the newly formed Australian Air Force (the "Royal" prefix being added in August) as a squadron leader
Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these...
, becoming its third-most senior officer after Williams and former Royal Naval Air Service
Royal Naval Air Service
The Royal Naval Air Service or RNAS was the air arm of the Royal Navy until near the end of the First World War, when it merged with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps to form a new service , the Royal Air Force...
pilot Stanley Goble
Stanley Goble
Air Vice Marshal Stanley James Goble CBE, DSO, DSC was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force . He served three terms as Chief of the Air Staff, alternating with Wing Commander Richard Williams...
, who were both now wing commanders
Wing Commander (rank)
Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries...
. During 1921, Anderson headed up the RAAF's Point Cook base and its two major units, No. 1 Flying Training School
No. 1 Flying Training School RAAF
No. 1 Flying Training School was a flying training school of the Royal Australian Air Force . It was one of the Air Force's original units, dating back to the service's formation in 1921, when it was based at RAAF Point Cook, Victoria. The school underwent a number of reorganisations during its...
(No. 1 FTS)—the successor to CFS—and the newly established No. 1 Aircraft Depot (No. 1 AD). Over the next four years he acted as Director of Personnel & Training, Chief of the Administrative Staff, and Second Air Member on the RAAF's controlling body, the Air Board, when Goble was away on overseas postings. In April 1922, he took part in the new service's first army cooperation exercise, piloting an Airco DH9 with Flight Lieutenant Adrian Cole
Adrian Cole (RAAF officer)
Air Vice Marshal Adrian Lindley Trevor Cole, CBE, DSO, MC, DFC was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force . Joining the army at the outbreak of World War I, he transferred to the Australian Flying Corps in 1916 and flew with No. 1 Squadron in the Middle East and No. 2...
, who spotted for artillery firing from an emplacement at Queenscliff
Queenscliff, Victoria
Queenscliff is a small town on the Bellarine Peninsula in southern Victoria, Australia, south of Swan Bay at the entrance to Port Phillip. It is the administrative centre for the Borough of Queenscliffe...
, Victoria. A year later, Anderson proposed a special RAAF workshop for research and development, which was duly established at Point Cook later that year.
The young Air Force staged numerous public displays in its early years; on one such occasion over the Melbourne suburb of Essendon
Essendon
Essendon may mean:Australia*Electoral district of Essendon*Electoral district of Essendon and Flemington*Essendon, Victoria**Essendon railway station**Essendon Airport*Essendon, Barons*Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League...
in September 1924, Anderson, Ray Brownell
Raymond Brownell
Air Commodore Raymond James Brownell CBE, MC, MM was a senior officer in the Royal Australian Air Force and a First World War flying ace. Born in Hobart, Tasmania, Brownell was working as a clerk with a firm of accountants when he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on the outbreak of the...
and another pilot took part in a mock dogfight while ace
Flying ace
A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more...
Harry Cobby gave a demonstration of balloon busting
Observation balloon
Observation balloons are balloons that are employed as aerial platforms for intelligence gathering and artillery spotting. Their use began during the French Revolutionary Wars, reaching their zenith during World War I, and they continue in limited use today....
. During 1925–26, Anderson again took command of No. 1 FTS, as well as occupying a position on the Air Board as Air Member for Personnel. He was posted to England between 1927 and 1929, attending RAF Staff College, Andover
RAF Staff College, Andover
The RAF Staff College at RAF Andover was the first Royal Air Force staff college to be established. Its role was the training of officers in the administrative, staff and policy apects of air force matters.-Foundation:...
and serving as Air Liaison Officer to the British Air Ministry
Air Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the British Government with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964...
. On 23 March 1927 he was promoted to wing commander. Returning to Australia in mid-1929, Anderson was for a short time in charge of No. 1 AD, now based at RAAF Station Laverton
RAAF Williams
RAAF Williams comprises the two bases of Point Cook and Laverton. Both establishments previously existed as separate RAAF Bases until 1999 when they were amalgamated to form RAAF Williams...
, Victoria, before appointment to the Air Board as Air Member for Supply in October. He spent most of the 1930s in this position, aside from an acting role as Air Member for Personnel in 1933–34, and attendance at the Imperial Defence College
Royal College of Defence Studies
The Royal College of Defence Studies is an internationally-renowned institution and component of the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom...
, London, the following year. Anderson had no formal training in the supply field, and though regarded with affection was variously considered "not quite on the same wave length as others" and "so immersed in the minutiae of administration that some important policy matters languished". His chronic shyness with women other than his unmarried sister also made him an object of fun in some quarters. He was raised to group captain
Group Captain
Group captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks above wing commander and immediately below air commodore...
in December 1932 and air commodore
Air Commodore
Air commodore is an air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
in January 1938. Appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1933 King's Birthday Honours, he was promoted to Commander in the same order (CBE) in the 1934 New Year Honours
New Year Honours
The New Year Honours is a part of the British honours system, being a civic occasion on the New Year annually in which new members of most Commonwealth Realms honours are named. The awards are presented by the reigning monarch or head of state, currently Queen Elizabeth II...
.
World War II and retirement
Anderson was still serving as Air Member for Supply when Australia declared war in September 1939. On 9 January 1940 he was appointed acting Chief of the Air Staff, following the resignation of the incumbent, Air Vice-Marshal Goble. Anderson remained in the position until 10 February 1940, when Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles BurnettCharles Burnett (RAF officer)
Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Stuart Burnett KCB, CBE, DSO was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force during the first half of the 20th century. During the Second World War, he served as Chief of the Air Staff of the Royal Australian Air Force.-Early life:Charles Burnett was born in Browns...
, seconded from the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
, arrived to take over. The Australian government at this stage had so little faith in the leadership of its Air Force that it had briefly considered offering temporary command of the service to a Royal Australian Navy
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
officer, Second Naval Member Commodore
Commodore (rank)
Commodore is a military rank used in many navies that is superior to a navy captain, but below a rear admiral. Non-English-speaking nations often use the rank of flotilla admiral or counter admiral as an equivalent .It is often regarded as a one-star rank with a NATO code of OF-6, but is not always...
Maitland Boucher, before deciding against such a "monumental slight to the senior ranks of the RAAF" and settling on Anderson. After relinquishing his temporary position as CAS, Anderson briefly reverted to his previous role as Air Member for Supply before taking over as Air Member for Personnel in March 1940. Later that year he became the inaugural commander of RAAF Central Area, which covered most of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, and remained at this post until August the following year. Promoted acting air vice-marshal
Air Vice-Marshal
Air vice-marshal is a two-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in...
in September 1941, he resumed his position on the Air Board by replacing Air Marshal Williams as Air Member for Organisation and Equipment.
In May 1942, Anderson assumed command of the newly formed RAAF Eastern Area
RAAF Air Command
Air Command is the operational arm of the Royal Australian Air Force . It is headed by the Air Commander Australia, whose role is to manage and command the RAAF's Force Element Groups , which contain the operational capability of the Air Force...
, which was headquartered in Sydney and controlled seven squadrons from southern Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
to southern New South Wales. One of the area's main roles was anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare is a branch of naval warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, or other submarines to find, track and deter, damage or destroy enemy submarines....
; its complement also included fighters and army cooperation aircraft. Between November 1943 and October 1944, Anderson again held the position of Air Member for Personnel, before he was made the inaugural Commandant of the RAAF Staff School at Mount Martha
Mount Martha, Victoria
Mount Martha is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, located 60 km south-east of Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Mornington Peninsula. It is located on the south-eastern shores of Port Phillip and offers a bathing beach...
, Victoria. He continued in this role until being forcibly retired, along with a number of other senior Air Force commanders, in April 1946, ostensibly to make way for yonger and equally qualified officers. Following his discharge from the RAAF, Anderson lived in East Melbourne
East Melbourne, Victoria
East Melbourne is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, adjacent to Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Melbourne. At the 2006 Census, East Melbourne had a population of 4,330....
. A lifelong bachelor, he shared a house with his sister, who also remained unmarried. From 1947 until 1971, he served as honorary chairman of the Victorian branch of the Services Canteens Trust Fund. On 31 March 1971, he was among a select group of surviving founder members of the RAAF who attended a celebratory dinner at the Hotel Canberra
Hotel Canberra
The Hotel Canberra, also known as Hyatt Hotel Canberra is in Yarralumla, near Lake Burley Griffin and Parliament House, in Canberra. It was built to house politicians when the Federal Parliament moved to Canberra. It was constructed by the contractor John Howie between 1922-1925. Originally...
to mark the service's Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee
A Golden Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 50th anniversary.- In Thailand :King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest-reigning monarch, celebrated his Golden Jubilee on 9 June 1996.- In the Commonwealth Realms :...
; his fellow guests included Air Marshal Williams, Air Vice-Marshal Henry Wrigley
Henry Wrigley
Air Vice Marshal Henry Neilson Wrigley CBE, DFC, AFC was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force . A pioneer aviator and theorist, he piloted the first trans-Australia flight from Melbourne to Darwin in 1919, and subsequently laid the groundwork for the RAAF's air power doctrine...
, Air Commodore Hippolyte (Frank) De La Rue
Hippolyte De La Rue
Air Commodore Hippolyte Ferdinand De La Rue CBE, DFC was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force . Joining the Mercantile Marine as a youth, he became a pilot in the Royal Naval Air Service during World War I, and was given command of No. 223 Squadron RAF in 1918...
, and Wing Commander Sir Lawrence Wackett
Lawrence Wackett
Sir Lawrence James Wackett KBE, DFC, AFC is widely regarded as "father of the Australian aircraft industry". He has been described as "one of the towering figures in the history of Australian aviation covering, as he did, virtually all aspects of activities: pilot, designer of airframes and...
. Bill Anderson died on his birthday in 1975, and was buried in Boroondara Cemetery
City of Boroondara
The City of Boroondara is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia. It is located in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne.This area was originally occupied by the Wurundjeri, Indigenous Australians of the Kulin nation....
, Kew.