Desmond Anderson

Desmond Francis Anderson
Born	(1885-07-05)5 July 1885
Died	29 January 1967(1967-01-29) (aged 81)
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Rank	Lieutenant-General
Unit	Devonshire Regiment East Yorkshire Regiment
Commands held	1st Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment 45th Infantry Division 46th Infantry Division III Corps II Corps
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Knight 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 work	Colonel, The East Yorkshire Regiment (The Duke of York's Own) (1940–48) Trustee of the Imperial War Museum (1945–56)

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

First World War

Having been commissioned into the Devonshire Regiment in 1905 Anderson transferred to the East Yorkshire Regiment in 1910.^[1] He served as Adjutant of his regiment from 1912 and then he went with the regiment to France 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. He was mentioned in despatches four times and in 1920 received the French Legion d'honneur 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

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 1940 and then after a few months as Assistant Chief of the Imperial General Staff at the War Office he became General Officer Commanding 46th Division.^[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

• Iraqforce
• Desmond Anderson Primary School

References

Sources

• Ammentorp, Steen. "Generals of World War II". Retrieved 2007-07-29. 
• "Orders of Battle.com". Retrieved 2007-07-29.