Desmond Anderson

Lieutenant-General Sir Desmond Francis Anderson KBE, CB, CMG, DSO (5 July 1885 – 29 January 1967) was a senior British Army officer in both the First and the Second World Wars.

For the English cricketer, see Desmond Anderson (cricketer).

Sir

Desmond Anderson

KBE, CB, CMG, DSO
Lieutenant General Sir Desmond Anderson in 1941
Born(1885-07-05)5 July 1885
Died29 January 1967(1967-01-29) (aged 81)
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service/branch British Army
Years of service1905−1944
RankLieutenant-General
Service number8403
UnitDevonshire Regiment
East Yorkshire Regiment
Commands held1st Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment
45th Infantry Division
46th Infantry Division
III Corps
II Corps
Battles/warsFirst World War
Second World War
AwardsKnight Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Companion of the Order of the Bath
Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George
Distinguished Service Order
Mentioned in dispatches (4)
Légion d'honneur (France)
Order of Saint Stanislaus (Russia)
Other workColonel, The East Yorkshire Regiment (The Duke of York's Own) (1940–48)
Trustee of the Imperial War Museum (1945–56)

Early life and First World War

Anderson was born in Dunham Massey and attended Rugby College before entering the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, where he was commissioned as a second lieutenant into the Devonshire Regiment in 1905. He transferred to the East Yorkshire Regiment in 1910.[1] He served as the adjutant of the 1st Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment from 1912.[1]

Then he went with the battalion to the Western Front 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 Distinguished Service Order in 1915. A captain in 1916, he fought in the Battle of the Somme as a company commander of Company 'C', he was mentioned in despatches four times and in 1920 received the French Legion of Honour for his wartime service.[2]

Between the wars

After attending staff college, he was appointed Commanding Officer of 1st Bn East Yorkshire Regiment in 1927, Assistant Quartermaster General at Aldershot Command in 1932 and General Staff Officer Grade 1 at 5th Division in 1933.[1] He went on to be Deputy Director of Military Operations & Intelligence at the War Office in 1934, Deputy Director of Military Intelligence at the War Office in 1936 and Major-General in charge of Administration for Eastern Command in 1938.[1]

Second World War
Sherman tanks of the 9th Armoured Brigade on parade at Hadeira in Palestine. Lieutenant General Desmond Anderson, GOC III Corps, took the salute from the Sherman tank in the foreground, 30 October 1943.

At the start of the war Anderson was major-general on the General Staff for the Home Forces.[1] He became General Officer Commanding 45th Infantry Division in early 1940 and then spent a few months as Assistant Chief of the Imperial General Staff at the War Office before becoming General Officer Commanding 46th Division in June 1940.[1]

He was promoted to command III Corps in December 1940.[1] During 1942 he went to Baghdad where III Corps were part of Persia and Iraq Command's Tenth Army. In 1943 he transferred to command II Corps and he retired from the army in 1944.[1]

See also

References
  1. "Anderson, Desmond". Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives. Archived from the original on 1 October 2012. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  2. Houterman, Hans; Koppes, Jeroen. "World War II unit histories and officers". Retrieved 29 July 2007.

Bibliography
  • Smart, Nick (2005). Biographical Dictionary of British Generals of the Second World War. Barnesley: Pen & Sword. ISBN 1844150496.
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