ANDERSON, William Robert
(Service number N/N)
| First Rank | Private | Last Rank |
|---|
Birth
| Date | 27/09/1887 | Place of Birth | Christchurch |
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Enlistment Information
| Date | Age | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Address at Enlistment | 16 Butler Street, Dunedin | ||
| Occupation | Motor mechanic | ||
| Previous Military Experience | |||
| Marital Status | Married. Three children | ||
| Next of Kin | Mrs Ellen M. ANDERSON, 13 Plunket Street, St Kilda, Dunedin | ||
Military Service
| Served with | NZ Armed Forces | Served in | Army |
|---|
Embarkation Information
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|---|---|---|---|
| Unit, Squadron, or Ship | |||
| Date | |||
| Transport | |||
| Embarked From | Destination | ||
| Other Units Served With | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Last Unit Served With | |||
Military Awards
| Campaigns | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Service Medals | |||
Award Circumstances and Date
No information
Prisoner of War Information
| Date of Capture | |
|---|---|
| Where Captured and by Whom | |
| Actions Prior to Capture | |
| PoW Serial Number | |
| PoW Camps | |
| Days Interned | |
| Liberation Date |
Death
| Date | 13 February 1963 | Age | 75 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Death | Christchurch | ||
| Cause | Heart attack | ||
| Memorial or Cemetery | Ruru Lawn Cemetery, Christchurch | ||
| New Zealand Memorials | |||
Biographical Notes
William (Bill) Anderson was born in Christchurch on 27 September 1887. His parents were Robert Augustus Anderson (1852-1927) and Edythe Alice Box (1863-1948). The family migrated to New Zealand on 24 December 1862 on board the Echunga and settled at Pleasant Point near Timaru. They had eight children in all: William (Bill) Robert Anderson (1887-1963); Henry/Harry Leslie Anderson (1889-1975); Gladys Emma Berry Anderson (1892-1975); Ernest Edward Anderson (1895-1977); Robert Anderson (1896-1898); Dorothy Joyce Anderson (1900-1971); Edythe Marjorie Anderson (1902-1978); and Lily Anderson (1905-1972).
Just prior to the war, in 191 Bill was living at 3 Manor Place, Dunedin, and was listed as working as a motor driver. Bill was a mechanic by trade, and following World War One worked as a chauffeur for a government department. Bill married Ellen Mackay Sutherland (1890-1973) on 23 August 1912 in the First Church, Dunedin. Ellen was a quarter Maori through her mother’s line, and Scottish through her father’s. The couple had seven children together: William (Bill) Robert Anderson (b.1913); Garfield (Gar) Sutherland Anderson (1915–1970); Jessie Noeleen Anderson (1916-1998); Ellen Edythe (Birdie) Anderson (1917–1988); Lesley (Les) Anderson (1918–1978); Norma Annabelle Anderson (1919-1923); and Andrew (Barnie) Anderson (c1922–1990).
Bill initially attempted to enlist, joining E Company 15th Reinforcements. He completed his Attestation for General Service form in April 1916 but a medical board rejected him as permanently unfit for service on 1 May and was discharged the following day. Despite this his name was balloted for service again in early 1917, the summons being issued on 13 February. He completed two more attestations – both marked 'voluntary', which perhaps indicates his desire to serve. The first was completed on 8 June and, for some unknown reason, another on 2 July 1917. In both cases his year of birth was given as 1888 – presumably making him a year younger by mistake. Whatever the case, this time he was assessed as fit for service in New Zealand (classed C2, permanently unfit for active service but fit for service in New Zealand). According to his military records’ medical history form, he was formally enlisted on 8 June 1917 with the New Zealand Military Police, but nothing appears to indicate when this service ended.
Between his initial and latter attestations Bill appears to have moved around a little. When his daughter, Brenda was born in 1916 he and Ellen were living at 26 Bridgeman Street, St Kilda, Dunedin. Again, he was employed as a motor mechanic. On 2 July 1917 when he completed another Attestation for General Service form, he gave his last address as 16 Butler Street. This time there was no mention of if or how they utilized his services. His application for service state that he was a small man – just 5’ 4” tall (in 1916) or 5 foot 5 inches tall (in 1917), with grey eyes and brown hair – and noting that he was Anglican (of the Church of England) in 1916, but then Presbyterian in his application of 1917.
By 1935 Bill and his family had moved to Christchurch and were living at 54 Cleveland Street. Bill died on 8 January 1958 of a heart attack while living at 12B Draper Street and he was buried at the Ruru Lawn Cemetery.
Bill's brothers Henry Leslie Anderson and Ernest Edward Anderson both also served in World War One.
Sources
NZ BDM Indexes (Department of Internal Affairs) [April 2020]; School Admission records (South Canterbury Branch NZSG) [07 April 2020]; Military service files (Archives New Zealand); SCRoll web submission by J Dunbar, 3 April 2024
External Links
Related Documents
- William Robert Anderson - by Janice Dunbar (pdf, 185.8 KB updated 11-Apr-2024)
- Bill Anderson Ancestry profile - by Janice Dunbar (pdf, 650.3 KB updated 11-Apr-2024)
Researched and Written by
Teresa Scott, SC branch NZSG; Tony Rippin, South Canterbruy Museum (based on research supplied by J Dunbar)
Currently Assigned to
Not assigned.
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License unless otherwise stated.