Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

John Elliott Anderson was born on 27 January 1885 at Christchurch, the youngest son of William Kennedy and Elizabeth Elliott (née Paterson) Anderson. William Kennedy Anderson who was born in 1844 in Inverness-shire, Scotland, came to New Zealand with his parents in 1857. Elizabeth Elliott Paterson who was born in 1849 in Inverness-shire, came to New Zealand with her parents in 1859. William and Elizabeth who married in 1869 at Wangaloa, were to have four daughters and five sons, one of the daughters dying in infancy. The three oldest Anderson children started their schooling at Oamaru South School, transferring to West Christchurch School in 1882. John joined his siblings at West Christchurch, leaving there in February 1898 for Addington School. In 1911 Mr and Mrs Anderson moved from Christchurch to Gleniti, Timaru. John Elliot Anderson who had been a blacksmith at home in Christchurch in 1908 and 1911, may have moved within Christchurch in 1911, and then by 1914 was possibly a vulcaniser at a Timaru address. Mr and Mrs Anderson moved to Geraldine in 1914 and lived with their widowed daughter. Was John Elliott Anderson perhaps the J. E. Anderson who represented the Timaru Cricket Club in a match in November 1914?

John Elliot Anderson was medically examined at Timaru on 19 October 1915. Standing at 5 feet 7 inches and weighing 147 pounds, he had a chest measurement of 34-36½ inches, a fair complexion, grey eyes and light brown hair. His sight, hearing and colour vision were all good, his limbs and chest well formed, and his heart and lungs normal. He was free from diseases, vaccinated, and in good bodily and mental health. He did have an operation scar for right inguinal hernia. The South Canterbury recruits for the Thirteenth Reinforcements left Timaru by the second express for the north on the afternoon of 9 February 1916. After parading at the Timaru Drill Hall and being addressed by the Mayor of Timaru, Mr J. Craigie, M.P. and the Rev T. A. Joughlin, they marched to the railway station, headed by the Band of the 2nd (South Canterbury) Regiment. One of those recruits was J. E. Anderson, Artillery. When he enlisted at Trentham on 10 February 1916, he was a commercial traveller, his address 25 Maori Hill, Timaru. Single and Presbyterian, he named his mother as next-of-kin – Mrs W . K. Anderson, Geraldine, South Canterbury. C. W. Anderson, 7 Rockley Rd, Kensington W, was also to be advised of any casualty. This was his brother Charles Walter Anderson. The address may be Kensington, London.

Gunner J. E. Anderson embarked with the New Zealand Field Artillery of the 13th Reinforcements, departing from Wellington per the “Willochra” on 31 May 1916 and disembarking at Devonport, England on 26 July 1916. He had been admitted to the ship’s hospital on 7 June and discharged on 10 June. He was then to spend just over three weeks (from 26 July 1916 until 16 August) at the Military Hospital at Devonport, suffering with acute eczema. On discharge from hospital, he marched into camp at Sling and was taken on Strength. He left Sling for France on 17 October and marched into camp at Etaples the next day. Marching out on 19 November, he was posted to the 14th Battery, 4th Brigade, NZ Field Artillery a few days later. He was posted to the 12th Battery in France on 22 January 1917. After going on leave to the UK on 4 September 1917, he rejoined his Unit in France on 16 September.

He was still with his Unit in France on 2 August 1918. After going on leave to the UK on 13 October 1918, he rejoined his Unit in France on 31 October. The next day he was admitted to the 3rd New Zealand Field Ambulance - Venereal disease (Gonorrhea) – and then to No. 18 Casualty Clearing Station before being evacuated to Hospital the next day. Admitted to No. 1 Stationary Hospital at Rouen, France - Venereal disease (Gonorrhea) - on 3 November 1918, he was discharged on 11 January 1919 and marched into the New Reception Camp on 17 January, then rejoined his Unit on 31 January. Appointed Temporary Bombardier on 6 February 1919, he relinquished that appointment on 11 February when he was detached to the UK. All was good at his medical examination at Sling on 20 March 1919. No further statements were noted on the “Carpentaria” on 9 April. In mid-April 1919, Mrs Rodman, Geraldine, received a cable from her brother, Gunner J. E. Anderson, stating that he was on his way home on board the “Carpentaria” which left London on 2 April. Gunner J. E. Anderson did indeed return to New Zealand per the troopship “Carpentaria”, embarking on 2 April 1919 and arriving at Lyttelton on 18 May. “She is a clean ship and had practically no sickness throughout the voyage. The trip was uneventful.” Coming from Lyttelton by special train on 19 May 1919, Anderson and four Geraldine comrades detrained at Orari. After they had been motored to Geraldine Major Kennedy, on behalf of the Soldiers’ Entertainment Committee, said “they were all glad to send the men away in good spirits and now they were extremely glad to welcome them back. He trusted they would enter into civilian life as soon as possible and spend many happy years amongst them.” For a long time they had a sad time, when they hoisted their flags to signify that some had “gone west”; but now they hoisted the flags with pleasure, because they signified that some of their men had come back. Cheers were given for the men. A few days later, a very successful welcome.

John Elliot Anderson was discharged on 16 June 1919, on the termination of his period of engagement, and was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. He had served overseas for almost three years, in Western Europe. His intended address was Doon, Geraldines, South Canterbury. – the address of his sister Roberta Rodman. John was back at his Maori Hill address for a few years, still employed as a traveller. In the mid-1920s he became a garage attendant; then, in Christchurch in the 1930s and 1940s, he worked as a fibrous plasterer.

John Elliot Anderson died at Christchurch on 2 June 1953, aged 68 years. His funeral arrived at the Geraldine Cemetery at 11am on 5 June. He was buried close to his brother James but has no headstone. A plaque on his parents’ grave records the names of the brothers John and James, with their service numbers and John’s unit. He was survived by his sister Roberta (Mrs Rodman, Geraldine), brother Charles (Geraldine) and brother Thomas (New Plymouth). William Kennedy Anderson had died at his daughter’s Geraldine residence on 6 December 1921 and was buried at Geraldine Cemetery. Elizabeth Elliott Anderson died at her daughter’s Geraldine residence on 16 July 1930 and was buried alongside her husband. There is a plaque to their two sons who served in the war – James and John Elliott – on their grave. James Anderson was an older brother of John Elliott. Two nephews of John served in World War Two - Charles Gordon Anderson, the elder son of James and Violet, and John Drayton Anderson, the son of Thomas Park Anderson and his wife Gladys.

Sources

Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [27 July 2013]; NZ Defence Force Personnel Records (Archives NZ Ref. AABK 18805 W5520 0008382) [27 November 2014]; Geraldine Cemetery burial record (Timaru District Council) [28 August 2013]; Timaru Herald, 9 February 1916, 7 & 20 May 1919, Temuka Leader, 17 April 1919, Sun, 3 May 1919, Dominion, 3 May 1919, Star, 3 May 1919, NZ Times, 3 May 1919, Press, 4 June 1953 (Papers Past) [10 November 2014; 22 July 2015; 01 & 02 July 2025]; School Admission Records (Canterbury Branch NZSG) [2014]; NZ Electoral Rolls (ancestry.com.au) [2014]; Timaru Herald, 4 June 1953 (Timaru District Library) [15 July 2015]

External Links

• Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph record
• Military personnel file

Related Documents

• ANDERSON John Elliott - newspaper clippings (pdf, 122.5 KB updated 18-Jul-2025)

Researched and Written by

Teresa Scott, SC Genesalogy Society

Currently Assigned to

TS