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John Anderson (British Army officer)

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Sir John Anderson
General Sir John Anderson
Born1908
Downpatrick, Ireland
Died1988 (aged 79–80)
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service / branch British Army
Years of service1929–1968
RankGeneral
Unit5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards
Commands11th Armoured Division
Royal Armoured Corps
Battles / warsWorld War II
AwardsKnight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire
Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
Distinguished Service Order

General Sir John D'Arcy Anderson GBE, KCB, DSO (1908–1988) was a British Army officer who reached high office in the 1960s.

Early life

He was born the only son of Reginald D'Arcy Anderson and educated at Winchester College and New College, Oxford. [1]

Military career

Anderson was commissioned into the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards in 1929.[2] He served in World War II in France, the Middle East and Italy.[2]

After the War he was appointed General Officer Commanding 11th Armoured Division in Germany in 1955 and then Chief of Staff at Headquarters Northern Army Group and British Army of the Rhine in 1956.[2] He became Director of the Royal Armoured Corps in 1958 and Director General of Military Training at the War Office in 1959.[2]

He was appointed Deputy Chief of Imperial General Staff in 1961 and Military Secretary in 1963.[2] Finally he became Commandant of the Imperial Defence College in 1966; he retired in 1968.[2] He was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in the 1961 New Year Honours.[3]

He was also the first Colonel Commandant of Ulster Defence Regiment from 1969 to 1979.[2] In that capacity he escorted the Queen during her Silver Jubilee visit to Northern Ireland in 1977.[4] A purpose built operations centre for the UDR was built at Ballykinler army base and named in honour of the general who was known as "The father of the UDR".[5]

Public service

He was appointed High Sheriff of County Down for 1974.[6]

Family life

He married Elizabeth Antoinette Merrifield Walker. They had no children. [1]

References

  1. ^ a b "Reginald D'Arcy Anderson (1880–1917)". Retrieved 15 August 2012.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives
  3. ^ "No. 42231". The London Gazette (invalid |supp= (help)). 27 December 1960.
  4. ^ Victor Patterson
  5. ^ The Ulster Defence Regiment: An Instrument of Peace?, Chris Ryder 1991 ISBN 0-413-64800-1 p70
  6. ^ "No. 2968". The Belfast Gazette. 11 January 1974.
Military offices
Preceded by GOC 11th Armoured Division
1955–1956
Succeeded by
Preceded by Deputy Chief of the Imperial General Staff
1961–1963
Succeeded by
Preceded by Military Secretary
1963–1966
Succeeded by
Preceded by Commandant of the Imperial Defence College
1966–1968
Succeeded by