Anderson, William Maurice Eyre "Bill"

Date of birth:: August 31st, 1908 (Dublin, Ireland)
Date of death:: December 13th, 1986 (Hastings and Rother/East Sussex, United Kingdom)
Service number:: 63162
Nationality:: British

Biography

William Maurice Eyre Anderson was Irish. His father, The Rev. William Anderson, was the Headmaster of Mountjoy School in Dublin.

Lieutenant-Colonel Bill Anderson commanded the 195th Airlanding Field Ambulance. For his conduct during the campaigns in which the 6th Airborne Division took part, he was, after the war, awarded the Distinguished Service Order.

Promotions:
7 June 1934: Lt.
7 June 1935: Capt.
1 May 1940: A/Maj.
1 August 1940: T/Maj.
18 November 1941: A/Lt.Col.
18 February 1942: WS/Maj.
18 February 1942: T/Lt.Col.
7 June 1943: Maj.
12 October 1943: T/Lt.Col.

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Distinguished Service Order (DSO)

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Temporary Lieutenant-Colonel
Unit:: 195th (Airlanding) Field Ambulance, 6th Airlanding Brigade, 6th Airborne Division, British Army
Awarded on:: January 24th, 1946

"At Hamminkeln on 24 March 1945, Lieutenant-Colonel Anderson was in command of 195 Airlanding Field Ambulance, which collected, treated and held over four hundred casualties for well over thirty hours. Conditions were difficult at first due to sustained enemy fire and later on due to limited accommodation and numbers of casualties mounting rapidly, but Colonel Anderson dealt so decisively and actively with each difficulty that at no time was the well being of the patients endangered. At no time did he allow enemy activity which was particularly violent during the early stages to interfere with the cool and skilful exercise of his duties.

At Longueval, Normandy on 10 June 1944, the Regimental Aid Post of the 1st Royal Ulster Rifles was attacked by a company of enemy infantry, several patients loaded on jeeps being killed and wounded. Colonel Anderson although himself badly wounded by the first burst of fire, organised and personally assisted the removal of the patients to cover. He afterwards led the convoy through the enemy lines and not until reaching his Main Dressing Station would he allow his wound to be dressed.

Throughout the campaign BLA, whether in France, the Ardennes or Germany, this officer has shown a consistently high standard of gallantry and devotion to duty."