William Anderson (VC)
Encyclopedia
William Anderson VC
(November 1885 – 13 March 1915) was a Scottish
recipient of the Victoria Cross
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British
and Commonwealth
forces.
and raised and educated in Forres
. He went to Glasgow
and was employed as a car conductor with the Corporation Tramways
for several years. He moved to Newcastle upon Tyne
where an elder brother of the family was serving with the Yorkshire Regiment (Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own) and enlisted in the same battalion in 1905, serving in it for a period of seven years in Egypt and India. After his service expired Anderson returned to Glasgow and was employed in the Elder Hospital in Govan
. He had been there only for a year before deciding to emigrate
to South Africa
. However, before he could leave war broke out and he was called up as a reservist and went to the front in France with the British Expeditionary Force.
in the 2nd Battalion during the First World War
when his awarded act took place.
Anderson was eventually killed in action on 13 March, but his remains were never found. He is commemorated on the Le Touret Memorial
.
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
(November 1885 – 13 March 1915) was a Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
recipient of the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to 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...
and Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
forces.
Life
Anderson was born in Dallas, MorayDallas, Moray
Dallas is a small rural village in Moray, Scotland, south west of Elgin.It has a population of between 150 and 200. Although not well known, many larger settlements around the world are named after it...
and raised and educated in Forres
Forres
Forres , is a town and former royal burgh situated in the north of Scotland on the Moray coast, approximately 30 miles east of Inverness. Forres has been a winner of the Scotland in Bloom award on several occasions...
. He went to Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
and was employed as a car conductor with the Corporation Tramways
Glasgow Corporation Tramways
Glasgow Corporation Tramways were formerly one of the largest urban tramway systems in Europe. Over 1000 municipally-owned trams served the city of Glasgow, Scotland with over 100 route miles by 1922...
for several years. He moved to Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
where an elder brother of the family was serving with the Yorkshire Regiment (Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own) and enlisted in the same battalion in 1905, serving in it for a period of seven years in Egypt and India. After his service expired Anderson returned to Glasgow and was employed in the Elder Hospital in Govan
Govan
Govan is a district and former burgh now part of southwest City of Glasgow, Scotland. It is situated west of Glasgow city centre, on the south bank of the River Clyde, opposite the mouth of the River Kelvin and the district of Partick....
. He had been there only for a year before deciding to emigrate
Emigrate
Emigrate is a heavy metal band based in New York, led by Richard Z. Kruspe, the lead guitarist of the German band Rammstein.-History:Kruspe started the band in 2005, when Rammstein decided to take a year off from touring and recording...
to South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. However, before he could leave war broke out and he was called up as a reservist and went to the front in France with the British Expeditionary Force.
Citation
Anderson was about 29 years old, and a corporalCorporal
Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4....
in the 2nd Battalion during the First World War
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...
when his awarded act took place.
Anderson was eventually killed in action on 13 March, but his remains were never found. He is commemorated on the Le Touret Memorial
Le Touret Memorial
The Le Touret Memorial is a World War I memorial, located near the former commune of Richebourg-l'Avoué, in the Pas-de-Calais region of France. The memorial lists 13,389 names of British and Commonwealth soldiers with no known grave who were killed in the area prior to the start of the Battle of...
.
External links
- Burial location of William Anderson "France"
- Location of William Anderson's Victoria Cross "Green Howards Museum"
- Find-a-Grave