Army Museum of New South Wales
    Warren Melville Anderson, CBE, DSO (1894 – 1973)

1894. Born on 31^st August at Singleton, New South Wales, Warren Melville Anderson was the son of Marsham Ambrose Anderson and his wife, Hannah Amelia Anderson (née Mantle).

1914. Warren graduated in November from the Royal Military College – Duntroon, Canberra and was commissioned in November as a Permanent Forces Lieutenant in the 6^th Light Australian Horse Regiment. He embarked at Sydney on 21^st December as a member of the regiment’s ‘B’ Squadron.

1915. The 6^th Light Horse Regiment disembarked at Alexandria, Egypt on 1^st February and moved into a camp near Cairo for training over the following three months. On 20^th May the regiment joined in the fighting on the Gallipoli Peninsula, Turkey and played a defensive role until the British evacuation of the peninsula in December.

1916-1918. The regiment took part in the pursuit of the Turkish Army through Sinai in Egypt and into Palestine.

Warren Anderson was the Brigade Major of the 3^rd Australian Light Horse Brigade from September 1917 to August 1918. For his work during this period, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order. He was also twice awarded a Mention in Despatches for his work during the First World War

Inter-war years.

Warren Anderson continued his career with the Permanent Forces, serving in staff officer postings as a Captain, Major then Lieutenant Colonel.

In 1928 Warren married Violet Clark in the Newcastle area.

1939-1945. At the time the Second World War commenced, Warren Anderson was serving as an exchange officer in India. He returned to Australia in January 1940 to join the staff of Headquarters 4^th Australian Division.

In April 1940, he was posted as the Director of Staff Duties with the temporary rank of Colonel. He was confirmed in that rank in July 1941 upon appointment as the Assistant Adjutant and Quartermaster-General of the 1^st Australian Armoured Division.

Afterwards, Warren served in a number of staff postings and by the end of the war was a Brigadier attached to the Eighth United States Army, the final operation of which was to clear Japanese forces from the Philippines.

1946-1951. While continuing in his full-time Army career, Warren Anderson was appointed In March 1947 as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for distinguished service in the South-West Pacific area during the Second World War. (The CBE neck badge that would have been presented to Warren does not form part of the Museum collection).

From 1947 to 1951 he was Adjutant-General of the Australian Military Forces and Second Member of the Military Board, retiring as a Major General in 1951.

1973. Warren Anderson died at his home in Darling Point, Sydney on 10^th February aged 78.