Captain Donald Clive Anderson (18 April 1897 – 2 January 1957)''The Times'', 3 January 1957. was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

military consultant and historian. He joined the

British Indian Army The Indian Army was the force of British Raj, British India, until Indian Independence Act 1947, national independence in 1947. Formed in 1895 by uniting the three Presidency armies, it was responsible for the defence of both British India and ...

before fighting in the

Mesopotamia Mesopotamia is a historical region of West Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the Fertile Crescent. Today, Mesopotamia is known as present-day Iraq and forms the eastern geographic boundary of ...

and

Palestine Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. Anderson toured

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

before working in

Sudan Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in Northeast Africa. It borders the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west, Libya to the northwest, Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the east, Eritrea and Ethiopi ...

on ''

The Four Feathers ''The Four Feathers'' is a 1902 adventure novel by British writer A. E. W. Mason that has inspired many films of the same title. In December 1901, ''Cornhill Magazine'' announced the title as one of two new serial stories to be published in t ...

'' film in 1939, working for the Ministry of Information during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, and following the war working on

Festival of Britain The Festival of Britain was a national exhibition and fair that reached millions of visitors throughout the United Kingdom in the summer of 1951. Labour Party cabinet member Herbert Morrison was the prime mover; in 1947 he started with the ...

Early life

Donald Anderson was born in

Cookham Cookham is a historic River Thames, Thames-side village and civil parishes in England, civil parish on the north-eastern edge of Berkshire, England, north-north-east of Maidenhead and opposite the village of Bourne End, Buckinghamshire, Bourne ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

. He probably attended the

Quetta cadet college The Command and Staff College Quetta is a staff college for the Pakistan Armed Forces and military officers from allied countries. Established in 1905 as Staff College, Deolali, it was later shifted to its present location in 1907 and has been ...

. He was commissioned on to the Unattached List,

on 15 November 1915, was admitted to the British Indian Army on 18 November and was attached to 122nd Rajputana Infantry. The regiment was stationed in India at

Kohat Kohat (; ) is a city that serves as the capital of the Kohat District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is regarded as a centre of the Bangash tribe of Pashtuns, who have lived in the region since the late 15th century. With a population o ...

until late 1916, entraining on 1 November 1916, embarking on 3 November 1916 and landing at

Basra Basra () is a port city in Iraq, southern Iraq. It is the capital of the eponymous Basra Governorate, as well as the List of largest cities of Iraq, third largest city in Iraq overall, behind Baghdad and Mosul. Located near the Iran–Iraq bor ...

, Mesopotamia, on 8 November 1916. He was promoted

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

on 15 November 1916. In early 1918 a company was detached from the regiment and sent to Palestine to form part of a new unit, the 2nd battalion, 154th Indian Infantry. On 31 May 1918 he was posted to 2nd battalion, 154th Indian Infantry as well, being made Adjutant on 9 June 1918. The regiment formed part of 233rd Brigade, 75th Division and fought in Palestine. He held the rank of acting Captain commanding a company from 28 May 1917 to 24 September 1917, 24 September 1917 to 20 November 1917 and 17 February 1918 to 14 November 1918. He remained in the British Indian Army after the war, being promoted Captain on 15 November 1919 but retired on 15 March 1923 under the terms of the Royal Warrant of 25 April 1923, owing to the reduction of the Indian Army. After the war Anderson returned to Britain, visiting family in

Guernsey Guernsey ( ; Guernésiais: ''Guernési''; ) is the second-largest island in the Channel Islands, located west of the Cotentin Peninsula, Normandy. It is the largest island in the Bailiwick of Guernsey, which includes five other inhabited isl ...

in 1920. An early skier, Anderson spent the winter of 1920–21 in Switzerland in

Mürren Mürren is a traditional Walser mountain village in the Bernese Highlands of Switzerland, at an elevation of above sea level. It cannot be reached by public road. It is also one of the popular tourist spots in Switzerland, and summer and winte ...

, the town where the famous

Kandahar ski club The Kandahar Ski Club was founded by Arnold Lunn and other British skiersAmongst these was Andrew Irvine (mountaineer), Andrew Irvine who would lose his life a few months later with George Mallory in their 1924 British Mount Everest expedition, at ...

was set up in 1924. The name for the club is said to be named after the "Roberts of Kandahar-Cup" first run in 1911. During the 1880 Afghanistan War Lord Roberts won a battle in Kandahar. In early 1921 Anderson sailed to Australia on the P&O ship '' SS Macedonia'' and returned to England in the early 1930s. While in Australia, Anderson visited Il Parran, Glenn Innes (1923),

Hobart Hobart ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the island state of Tasmania, Australia. Located in Tasmania's south-east on the estuary of the River Derwent, it is the southernmost capital city in Australia. Despite containing nearly hal ...

(August 1924), visiting Amy Gant, Anderson's mother's first cousin wife of

Tetley Gant Tetley Gant, Order of St Michael and St George, CMG (9 July 1853 – 7 February 1928) was an Australian barrister, Tasmanian politician and Chancellor (education), chancellor. Early life – England Tetley was born in Manningham, Bradford, Mann ...

, member of the Tasmanian Legislative Council. In 1924 with C. L. Morell, Anderson toured several stations in the Northern Territory and Queensland – Barclay Downs, Lawn Hill Station,

Alexandra Alexandra () is a female given name of Greek origin. It is the first attested form of its variants, including Alexander (, ). Etymology, Etymologically, the name is a compound of the Greek verb (; meaning 'to defend') and (; genitive, GEN , ; ...

– before returning through

Goondiwindi Goondiwindi () is a rural town and Suburbs and localities (Australia), locality in the Goondiwindi Region, Queensland, Australia. It is on the border of Queensland and New South Wales. In the , the locality of Goondiwindi had a population of 6, ...

and Pukawidgi near

Inverell Inverell is a large town in northern New South Wales, Australia, situated on the Macintyre River, close to the Queensland border. It is also the centre of Inverell Shire. Inverell is located on the Gwydir Highway on the western slopes of the ...

in 1925.

Career

Anderson was the military consultant for the 1939 film ''

'' directed by

Zoltan Korda Zoltan Korda (May 3, 1895 – October 13, 1961) was a Hungary, Hungarian-born motion picture screenwriter, film director, director and film producer, producer. He made his first film in Hungary in 1918 and worked with his brother Alexander Korda ...

, starring John Clements,

Ralph Richardson Sir Ralph David Richardson (19 December 1902 – 10 October 1983) was an English actor who, with John Gielgud and Laurence Olivier, was one of the trinity of male actors who dominated the British stage for much of the 20th century. He wo ...

June Duprez June Ada Rose Duprez (14 May 1918 – 30 October 1984) was an English film actress. Early life Duprez was born in Teddington, Middlesex, England, during an air raid in the final months of World War I, the daughter of American comedian Fre ...

and C. Aubrey Smith. Captain Anderson ensured the accuracy of the military uniforms and procedure in England and

. During filming, Captain Anderson dressed as a Sudanese tribesman and led the charge of Khalifa's cavalry during filming. During

, Anderson worked for the Ministry of Information using experience gained in the making of the ''Four Feathers''. He was also the

n specialist for the Ministry because of his time spent in Australia. After the war Anderson worked as Chief Press Officer for the

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, 1951.

Shakespeare

In the 1930s Anderson researched the idea that

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

may have been written by

Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford (; 12 April 155024 June 1604), was an English peerage, peer and courtier of the Elizabethan era. Oxford was heir to the second oldest earldom in the kingdom, a court favourite for a time, a sought-after ...

and was a friend of John Thomas Looney

Published work

''Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research'', Spring 1953. Vol. XXXI. No. 125. McGuffie, T. H., ed. (L. E. Buckell, Major G. Tylden, Major P. Young, W. Y. Carman, Dr. F. Herrmann, C. C. P. Lawson, Major J. H. Busby, C. T. Atkinson, S. H. Ward, Major N. P. Dawnay, G. O. Rickword, Captain D. C. Anderson, Captain R. A. Ingham Clark, et al.). Published by Society for Army Historical Research, London, 1953.

Family

The son of Frank Anderson, an architect, Donald had one brother and two sisters. His brother Patrick died in an aeroplane crash while in the

Royal Flying Corps The Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was the air arm of the British Army before and during the First World War until it merged with the Royal Naval Air Service on 1 April 1918 to form the Royal Air Force. During the early part of the war, the RFC sup ...

on 19 October 1917, aged 18; he was based at Waddington,

Turnhouse Turnhouse is a suburb in the west of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, near Maybury, Gogar, Cammo and West Craigs. The area is south east of Edinburgh Airport, and Turnhouse is also the name for the former Royal Air Force base, now closed, ...

and

Midlothian Midlothian (; ) is registration county, lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area and one of 32 council areas of Scotland used for local government. Midlothian lies in the east-central Lowlands, bordering the City of Edinburgh council ar ...

. Anderson married English author Verily Bruce in 1940. They had five children, including the writer

Rachel Anderson Rachel Anderson (born 1943) is an English journalist and author best known for her children's books. Her work often features the positive portrayal of characters with learning disabilities, and themes of social injustice and alienation. She wa ...

and the writer and health activist

Janie Hampton Janie Hampton (born as Anderson, 14 March 1952) is a British author, best known for her biography of Joyce Grenfell and social history books ''The Austerity Olympics'', ''How the Girl Guides Won the War'', and an international development and w ...

References

* ''The London Gazette'' 26 March 1918 * Indian Army List January 1919 * Quarterly Army List March 1922 * Commonwealth War Graves Commission

External links

"Navy, Army, and Air Force Institutes in War and Peace" by Captain Donald Anderson, late 6th Rajputana Rifles
''Royal United Services Institution Journal'', Volume 85, Issue 537, 1940.
"Naval Canteen Launches", by Captain Donald Anderson, late 6th Rajputana Rifles
''Royal United Services Institution Journal'', Volume 85, Issue 538, 1940.

Christopher Trevelyan, King-Emperor {{DEFAULTSORT:Anderson, Donald Clive 1897 births 1957 deaths Indian Army personnel of World War I People from Cookham British Indian Army officers Military personnel from Berkshire