Kenneth Arthur Noel Anderson
Encyclopedia
General Sir Kenneth Arthur Noel Anderson, KCB
, MC
(December 25, 1891 – April 29, 1959) was a British Army
officer in both the First
and Second World Wars
. He is mainly remembered as the commander of the First Army during Operation Torch
, the Allied invasion of Tunisia
. He had an outwardly reserved character and did not court popularity either with his superiors or with the public. Eisenhower
wrote that he was "blunt, at times to the point of rudeness". In consequence he is less well known than many of his contemporaries. He handled a difficult campaign more competently than his critics suggest, but competence without flair was not good enough for a top commander in 1944.
and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
before being commissioned
in the Seaforth Highlanders
in September 1911 as a second lieutenant. His First World War
service was in France
, where he served with distinction. He was awarded the Military Cross
for bravery in action and was wounded at the Battle of the Somme on the opening day, 1 July 1916. The citation read:
in Palestine
in time to celebrate victory. He was appointed an acting major in May 1918 and reverted to captain in July 1919.
In 1918 Anderson married Kathleen Gamble. She was the only daughter of Sir Reginald Arthur Gamble and his wife Jennie. Her brother was (Acting) Captain Ralph Dominic Gamble
MC, Coldstream Guards
.
to the Scottish Horse
from 1920-24 and was promoted to major during this posting. He attended the Command and Staff College
course at Quetta
, where he apparently did not do that well. His superior, Major-General Sir Percy Hobart
, thought it "questionable whether he had the capacity to develop much." Other staff council also had reservations, but "hoped that he might suffice." Anderson graduated from the Staff College, Camberley
, in 1928 following which he took a staff posting (GSO2) in the 50th (Northumbrian) Division. In 1930 Anderson was promoted lieutenant-colonel and at the age of 38 he commanded the second battalion
of the Seaforths in the North West Frontier, for which he was mentioned in dispatches
and as a full colonel went on to command the 152nd (Seaforth and Cameron) Infantry Brigade in August 1934. Still as a full colonel in March 1936 he was appointed to a staff job (GSO1) in India and in January 1938 was appointed acting brigadier to command 11th Brigade
which he trained hard, despite inadequate equipment.
. When Montgomery was promoted to command II Corps during the evacuation from France
, the departing II Corps commander Alan Brooke chose Anderson to take command of Montgomery's 3rd Infantry Division.
On returning to the United Kingdom after the withdrawal from Dunkirk Anderson was promoted to major-general
, and made a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB)
. He was given command of 1st Division which was tasked with defending the coast of Lincolnshire
before being promoted to lieutenant-general in 1941 and given VIII Corps, then II Corps to command before becoming GOC-in-C Eastern Command
in 1942.
In spite of his lack of experience in commanding larger formations in battle Anderson was given the First Army command replacing Edmond Schreiber
who had developed a kidney disease and was not considered fit enough for active service in the army's planned involvement in Operation Torch
. The first choice replacement, Harold Alexander
, had been almost immediately selected to replace Claude Auchinleck
as C-in-C Middle East Command
in Cairo and his replacement, Bernard Montgomery
, was himself redirected to the Western Desert to command Eighth Army
following the death of William Gott
. Anderson therefore became the fourth commander in no more than a week.
Following the Torch landings, although much of his troops and equipment had yet to arrive in the theatre, Anderson was keen to make an early advance from Algeria into Tunisia to preempt Axis occupation following the collapse of the Vichy French administration there. His available force, at this stage barely a division strong, was engaged in late 1942 in a race to capture Tunis
before the Axis were able to build up their forces and launch a counterattack. This was unsuccessful although elements of his force got to within 16 miles (25.7 km) of Tunis before being pushed back.
As further Allied forces arrived at the front they suffered from a lack of co-ordination. Eventually in late January 1943 Eisenhower persuaded the French to place their newly-formed XIX Corps
under Anderson's First Army and also gave him responsibility for the overall "employment of American troops" specifically the US II Corps, commanded by General Lloyd Fredendall
. However, control still proved problematical with forces spread over 200 miles (320 km) of front and poor means of communication (Anderson reported that he motored over 1,000 miles (1,600 km) in four days in order to speak to his corps commanders). Anderson and Fredendall also failed properly to coordinate and integrate forces under their command. Subordinates would later recall their utter confusion at being handed conflicting orders, not knowing which general to obey - Anderson, or Fredendall. While Anderson was privately aghast at Fredendall's shortcomings, he seemed frozen by the need to preserve a united Allied front, and never risked his career by strongly protesting (or threatening to resign) over what many of his own American subordinates viewed as an untenable command structure.
II Corps later suffered a serious reverse at the Kasserine Pass
, where Field Marshal Rommel launched a successful offensive against Allied forces, first shattering French forces defending the central portion of the front, then routing the American II Corps in the south. While the lion's share of the blame fell on Fredendall, Anderson's generalship abilities were also seriously questioned by both British and Allied commanders. When Fredendall disclaimed all responsibility for the poorly-equipped French XIX Corps covering the vulnerable central section of the Tunisian front, denying their request for support, Anderson allowed the request to go unfulfilled. Anderson was also criticised for refusing Fredendall's request to retire to a defensible line after the initial assault in order to regroup his forces, allowing German panzer forces to overrun many of the American positions in the south. Furthermore, the commander of US 1st Armored Division
vehemently objected to the dispersal of his division's three combat commands on individual assignments requested by Anderson which he believed diluted the division's effectiveness and resulted in its heavy losses.
In particular, the American generals Ernest N. Harmon
and George S. Patton
thought little of Anderson's ability to control large forces in battle. Major-General Harmon had been in Thala on the Algerian border, witnessing the stubborn resistance of the British Nickforce, which held the vital road leading into the Kasserine Pass against the heavy pressure of the German 10th Panzer Division, which was under Rommel's direct command. Commanding the British Nickforce was Brigadier Cameron Nicholson
, an effective combat leader who kept his remaining forces steady under relentless German hammering. When the U.S. 9th Infantry Division's attached artillery arrived in Thala after a four-day, 800 miles (1,287.5 km) journey, it seemed like a godsend to Harmon. Inexplicably, the 9th was ordered by Anderson to abandon Thala to the enemy and head for the village of Le Kef, 50 miles (80.5 km) away, to defend against an expected German attack. Nicholson pleaded with the American artillery commander, Brigadier General S. Leroy Irwin, to ignore Anderson’s order and stay. Harmon agreed with Nicholson and commanded, “Irwin, you stay right here!". The 9th's artillery did stay, and with its 48 guns raining a whole year's worth of a (peacetime) allotment of shells, stopped the advancing Germans in their tracks. Unable to retreat under the withering fire, the Afrika Corps finally withdrew after dark. With the defeat at Thala, Rommel decided to end his offensive.
As Allied and Axis forces built up in Tunisia, 18th Army Group HQ was formed in February 1943 under Harold Alexander to control all Allied forces in Tunisia. Alexander wanted to replace Anderson with Leese
, one of the Eighth Army corps commanders, but Montgomery had been unwilling to release him. Anderson managed to hold on to his position and performed well during the closing stages of the operation, in May 1943 when Allied forces won victory and the unconditional surrender of the Axis forces, 125,000 of whom were German. His rank of lieutenant-general was made substantive in July 1943 and he was advanced to KCB
in August. Eisenhower, his superior officer, had stated after observing Anderson in action that he "studied the written word until he practically burns through the paper", but later wrote of him that he was
Anderson was the first recipient of the US Legion of Merit
in the grade of Chief Commander, for his service as First Army commander in North Africa; he received his award on 18 June 1943.
On his return to Britain from Tunis he was initially given command of Second Army during the preparations for D-Day but the criticisms of Alexander and Montgomery (who in March 1943 had written to Alexander saying "...it is obvious that Anderson is completely unfit to command any army." and later described him as "a good plain cook") had gained currency, and in January 1944 he was replaced by Miles Dempsey
. Anderson was given Eastern Command
, widely viewed as a demotion. His career as a field commander was over and his last purely military appointment was as G.O.C.-in-C. East Africa Command
.
, where his most notable achievements were to build new houses to relieve the poor housing conditions, and the constitutional changes which established a Legistative Council. He was promoted full general in July 1949 and retired in June 1952 when he was made a knight of the Venerable Order of Saint John
and lived mainly in the south of France. His last years were filled with tragedy: his only son died in action in Malaya
and his daughter also died after a long illness. Anderson died of pneumonia
in Gibraltar
in 1959.
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Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
(December 25, 1891 – April 29, 1959) was a British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
officer in both the First
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and Second World Wars
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He is mainly remembered as the commander of the First Army during Operation Torch
Operation Torch
Operation Torch was the British-American invasion of French North Africa in World War II during the North African Campaign, started on 8 November 1942....
, the Allied invasion of Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
. He had an outwardly reserved character and did not court popularity either with his superiors or with the public. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
wrote that he was "blunt, at times to the point of rudeness". In consequence he is less well known than many of his contemporaries. He handled a difficult campaign more competently than his critics suggest, but competence without flair was not good enough for a top commander in 1944.
Early life and World War I
Anderson was born in India, the son of a Scottish railway engineer, and was educated at Charterhouse SchoolCharterhouse School
Charterhouse School, originally The Hospital of King James and Thomas Sutton in Charterhouse, or more simply Charterhouse or House, is an English collegiate independent boarding school situated at Godalming in Surrey.Founded by Thomas Sutton in London in 1611 on the site of the old Carthusian...
and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
before being commissioned
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
in the Seaforth Highlanders
Seaforth Highlanders
The Seaforth Highlanders was a historic regiment of the British Army associated with large areas of the northern Highlands of Scotland. The Seaforth Highlanders have varied in size from two battalions to seventeen battalions during the Great War...
in September 1911 as a second lieutenant. His First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
service was in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, where he served with distinction. He was awarded the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
for bravery in action and was wounded at the Battle of the Somme on the opening day, 1 July 1916. The citation read:
He took eighteen months to recover from the wounds he received, before rejoining his regiment
For conspicuous gallantry. Captain Anderson was severely wounded in front of an enemy first line trench. He endeavoured to struggle on, but progress was impossible as one of his legs was broken. Nevertheless, although exposed to heavy fire, he continued to direct and encourage his men.
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
in Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
in time to celebrate victory. He was appointed an acting major in May 1918 and reverted to captain in July 1919.
In 1918 Anderson married Kathleen Gamble. She was the only daughter of Sir Reginald Arthur Gamble and his wife Jennie. Her brother was (Acting) Captain Ralph Dominic Gamble
Ralph Dominic Gamble
Captain Ralph Dominic Gamble MC was born in Simla, India in 1897. The second child and the only son of Sir Reginald Arthur Gamble.His grandfather had been Dominic Jacotin Gamble, a veteran of the Crimean War and campaigns in New Zealand...
MC, Coldstream Guards
Coldstream Guards
Her Majesty's Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, also known officially as the Coldstream Guards , is a regiment of the British Army, part of the Guards Division or Household Division....
.
Inter-war career
His inter-war career was active, he served as adjutantAdjutant
Adjutant is a military rank or appointment. In some armies, including most English-speaking ones, it is an officer who assists a more senior officer, while in other armies, especially Francophone ones, it is an NCO , normally corresponding roughly to a Staff Sergeant or Warrant Officer.An Adjutant...
to the Scottish Horse
Scottish Horse
The Scottish Horse was a Yeomanry Regiment of the British Territorial Army from 1900 to 1956 when it was amalgamated with The Fife and Forfar Yeomanry....
from 1920-24 and was promoted to major during this posting. He attended the Command and Staff College
Command and Staff College
The Command and Staff College was established in 1907 at Quetta, Balochistan, British Raj, now in Pakistan, and is the oldest and the most prestigious institution of the Pakistan Army. It was established in 1905 in Deolali and moved to its present location at Quetta in 1907 under the name of Quetta...
course at Quetta
Quetta
is the largest city and the provincial capital of the Balochistan Province of Pakistan. Known as the "Fruit Garden of Pakistan" due to the diversity of its plant and animal wildlife, Quetta is home to the Hazarganji Chiltan National Park, which contains some of the rarest species of wildlife in the...
, where he apparently did not do that well. His superior, Major-General Sir Percy Hobart
Percy Hobart
Major-General Sir Percy Cleghorn Stanley Hobart KBE CB DSO MC , also known as "Hobo", was a British military engineer, noted for his command of the 79th Armoured Division during World War II...
, thought it "questionable whether he had the capacity to develop much." Other staff council also had reservations, but "hoped that he might suffice." Anderson graduated from the Staff College, Camberley
Staff College, Camberley
Staff College, Camberley, Surrey, was a staff college for the British Army from 1802 to 1997, with periods of closure during major wars. In 1997 it was merged into the new Joint Services Command and Staff College.-Origins:...
, in 1928 following which he took a staff posting (GSO2) in the 50th (Northumbrian) Division. In 1930 Anderson was promoted lieutenant-colonel and at the age of 38 he commanded the second battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
of the Seaforths in the North West Frontier, for which he was mentioned in dispatches
Mentioned in Dispatches
A soldier Mentioned in Despatches is one whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which is described the soldier's gallant or meritorious action in the face of the enemy.In a number of countries, a soldier's name must be mentioned in...
and as a full colonel went on to command the 152nd (Seaforth and Cameron) Infantry Brigade in August 1934. Still as a full colonel in March 1936 he was appointed to a staff job (GSO1) in India and in January 1938 was appointed acting brigadier to command 11th Brigade
British 11th Infantry Brigade
The 11th Infantry Brigade is a British Army regular formation that served in both the First and Second World Wars. Deactivated in 1958 it was reactivated in 2008 to assume command of the planned Operation Herrick deployment to Afghanistan in late 2009....
which he trained hard, despite inadequate equipment.
World War II
It was as commander of 11th Brigade that Anderson saw service with the British Expeditionary ForceBritish Expeditionary Force (World War II)
The British Expeditionary Force was the British force in Europe from 1939–1940 during the Second World War. Commanded by General Lord Gort, the BEF constituted one-tenth of the defending Allied force....
. When Montgomery was promoted to command II Corps during the evacuation from France
Battle of Dunkirk
The Battle of Dunkirk was a battle in the Second World War between the Allies and Germany. A part of the Battle of France on the Western Front, the Battle of Dunkirk was the defence and evacuation of British and allied forces in Europe from 26 May–4 June 1940.After the Phoney War, the Battle of...
, the departing II Corps commander Alan Brooke chose Anderson to take command of Montgomery's 3rd Infantry Division.
Major-General (United Kingdom)
Major general is a senior rank in the British Army. Since 1996 the highest position within the Royal Marines is the Commandant General Royal Marines who holds the rank of major general...
, and made a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB)
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
. He was given command of 1st Division which was tasked with defending the coast of Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
before being promoted to lieutenant-general in 1941 and given VIII Corps, then II Corps to command before becoming GOC-in-C Eastern Command
Eastern Command (United Kingdom)
-History:The Command was established in 1905 from the Fourth Army Corps and was based in London. Among the formations raised under its supervision in World War I was the 12th Division. Its headquarters was initially located at Horseguards in London. During World War II the Command relocated to...
in 1942.
In spite of his lack of experience in commanding larger formations in battle Anderson was given the First Army command replacing Edmond Schreiber
Edmond Schreiber
Lieutenant-General Sir Edmund Charles Acton Schreiber, KCB, DSO was a British Army officer who served in both the First and Second World Wars. In the second he commanded the 45th Infantry Division, V Corps and First Army....
who had developed a kidney disease and was not considered fit enough for active service in the army's planned involvement in Operation Torch
Operation Torch
Operation Torch was the British-American invasion of French North Africa in World War II during the North African Campaign, started on 8 November 1942....
. The first choice replacement, Harold Alexander
Harold Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis
Field Marshal Harold Rupert Leofric George Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis was a British military commander and field marshal of Anglo-Irish descent who served with distinction in both world wars and, afterwards, as Governor General of Canada, the 17th since Canadian...
, had been almost immediately selected to replace Claude Auchinleck
Claude Auchinleck
Field Marshal Sir Claude John Eyre Auchinleck, GCB, GCIE, CSI, DSO, OBE , nicknamed "The Auk", was a British army commander during World War II. He was a career soldier who spent much of his military career in India, where he developed a love of the country and a lasting affinity for the soldiers...
as C-in-C Middle East Command
Middle East Command
The Middle East Command was a British Army Command established prior to the Second World War in Egypt. Its primary role was to command British land forces and co-ordinate with the relevant naval and air commands to defend British interests in the Middle East and eastern Mediterranean region.The...
in Cairo and his replacement, Bernard Montgomery
Bernard Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein
Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, KG, GCB, DSO, PC , nicknamed "Monty" and the "Spartan General" was a British Army officer. He saw action in the First World War, when he was seriously wounded, and during the Second World War he commanded the 8th Army from...
, was himself redirected to the Western Desert to command Eighth Army
Eighth Army (United Kingdom)
The Eighth Army was one of the best-known formations of the British Army during World War II, fighting in the North African and Italian campaigns....
following the death of William Gott
William Gott
Lieutenant-General William Henry Ewart Gott CB, CBE, DSO and bar, MC , nicknamed "Strafer", was a British Army officer during both the First and Second World Wars, reaching the rank of lieutenant-general when serving in the British Eighth Army.-Military career:Educated at Harrow School he was...
. Anderson therefore became the fourth commander in no more than a week.
Following the Torch landings, although much of his troops and equipment had yet to arrive in the theatre, Anderson was keen to make an early advance from Algeria into Tunisia to preempt Axis occupation following the collapse of the Vichy French administration there. His available force, at this stage barely a division strong, was engaged in late 1942 in a race to capture Tunis
Run for Tunis
The Run for Tunis, part of the Tunisia Campaign in the Second World War, took place during the November and December 1942. Once French opposition to the Allied Operation Torch landings had ceased in mid-November, the Allies made a rapid advance by a division-sized force east from Algeria in an...
before the Axis were able to build up their forces and launch a counterattack. This was unsuccessful although elements of his force got to within 16 miles (25.7 km) of Tunis before being pushed back.
As further Allied forces arrived at the front they suffered from a lack of co-ordination. Eventually in late January 1943 Eisenhower persuaded the French to place their newly-formed XIX Corps
XIX Corps (France)
The French 19th Army Corps was formed in 1873. Anthony Clayton writes that the title of the 19th Army Corps was given to the Army of Africa in 1873. Antoine Chanzy commanded the corps between 1873 and 1879, at which time the commander also held the post of Governor of Algeria.It was in service...
under Anderson's First Army and also gave him responsibility for the overall "employment of American troops" specifically the US II Corps, commanded by General Lloyd Fredendall
Lloyd Fredendall
Lloyd Fredendall was an American General during World War II. Major General Fredendall is best known for his command of the Central Task Force landings during Operation Torch, and his command of the US II Corps during the early stages of the Tunisia Campaign...
. However, control still proved problematical with forces spread over 200 miles (320 km) of front and poor means of communication (Anderson reported that he motored over 1,000 miles (1,600 km) in four days in order to speak to his corps commanders). Anderson and Fredendall also failed properly to coordinate and integrate forces under their command. Subordinates would later recall their utter confusion at being handed conflicting orders, not knowing which general to obey - Anderson, or Fredendall. While Anderson was privately aghast at Fredendall's shortcomings, he seemed frozen by the need to preserve a united Allied front, and never risked his career by strongly protesting (or threatening to resign) over what many of his own American subordinates viewed as an untenable command structure.
II Corps later suffered a serious reverse at the Kasserine Pass
Battle of the Kasserine Pass
The Battle of the Kasserine Pass was a battle that took place during the Tunisia Campaign of World War II in February 1943. It was a series of battles fought around Kasserine Pass, a wide gap in the Grand Dorsal chain of the Atlas Mountains in west central Tunisia...
, where Field Marshal Rommel launched a successful offensive against Allied forces, first shattering French forces defending the central portion of the front, then routing the American II Corps in the south. While the lion's share of the blame fell on Fredendall, Anderson's generalship abilities were also seriously questioned by both British and Allied commanders. When Fredendall disclaimed all responsibility for the poorly-equipped French XIX Corps covering the vulnerable central section of the Tunisian front, denying their request for support, Anderson allowed the request to go unfulfilled. Anderson was also criticised for refusing Fredendall's request to retire to a defensible line after the initial assault in order to regroup his forces, allowing German panzer forces to overrun many of the American positions in the south. Furthermore, the commander of US 1st Armored Division
1st Armored Division (United States)
The 1st Armored Division—nicknamed "Old Ironsides"—is a standing armored division of the United States Army with base of operations in Fort Bliss, Texas. It was the first armored division of the U.S...
vehemently objected to the dispersal of his division's three combat commands on individual assignments requested by Anderson which he believed diluted the division's effectiveness and resulted in its heavy losses.
In particular, the American generals Ernest N. Harmon
Ernest N. Harmon
Ernest Nason Harmon was a United States Army general. He is best known for his actions in reorganizing U.S. II Corps after the debacle at the Battle of the Kasserine Pass in North Africa during World War II....
and George S. Patton
George S. Patton
George Smith Patton, Jr. was a United States Army officer best known for his leadership while commanding corps and armies as a general during World War II. He was also well known for his eccentricity and controversial outspokenness.Patton was commissioned in the U.S. Army after his graduation from...
thought little of Anderson's ability to control large forces in battle. Major-General Harmon had been in Thala on the Algerian border, witnessing the stubborn resistance of the British Nickforce, which held the vital road leading into the Kasserine Pass against the heavy pressure of the German 10th Panzer Division, which was under Rommel's direct command. Commanding the British Nickforce was Brigadier Cameron Nicholson
Cameron Nicholson
General Sir Cameron Gordon Graham Nicholson GCB KBE DSO & Bar MC is a former Adjutant-General to the Forces.-Military career:Cameron Nicholson was commissioned into the Royal Artillery in 1915...
, an effective combat leader who kept his remaining forces steady under relentless German hammering. When the U.S. 9th Infantry Division's attached artillery arrived in Thala after a four-day, 800 miles (1,287.5 km) journey, it seemed like a godsend to Harmon. Inexplicably, the 9th was ordered by Anderson to abandon Thala to the enemy and head for the village of Le Kef, 50 miles (80.5 km) away, to defend against an expected German attack. Nicholson pleaded with the American artillery commander, Brigadier General S. Leroy Irwin, to ignore Anderson’s order and stay. Harmon agreed with Nicholson and commanded, “Irwin, you stay right here!". The 9th's artillery did stay, and with its 48 guns raining a whole year's worth of a (peacetime) allotment of shells, stopped the advancing Germans in their tracks. Unable to retreat under the withering fire, the Afrika Corps finally withdrew after dark. With the defeat at Thala, Rommel decided to end his offensive.
As Allied and Axis forces built up in Tunisia, 18th Army Group HQ was formed in February 1943 under Harold Alexander to control all Allied forces in Tunisia. Alexander wanted to replace Anderson with Leese
Oliver Leese
Lieutenant-General Sir Oliver William Hargreaves Leese, 3rd Baronet, KCB, CBE, DSO was a British general during World War II.-Early years:...
, one of the Eighth Army corps commanders, but Montgomery had been unwilling to release him. Anderson managed to hold on to his position and performed well during the closing stages of the operation, in May 1943 when Allied forces won victory and the unconditional surrender of the Axis forces, 125,000 of whom were German. His rank of lieutenant-general was made substantive in July 1943 and he was advanced to KCB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
in August. Eisenhower, his superior officer, had stated after observing Anderson in action that he "studied the written word until he practically burns through the paper", but later wrote of him that he was
Anderson was the first recipient of the US Legion of Merit
Legion of Merit
The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...
in the grade of Chief Commander, for his service as First Army commander in North Africa; he received his award on 18 June 1943.
On his return to Britain from Tunis he was initially given command of Second Army during the preparations for D-Day but the criticisms of Alexander and Montgomery (who in March 1943 had written to Alexander saying "...it is obvious that Anderson is completely unfit to command any army." and later described him as "a good plain cook") had gained currency, and in January 1944 he was replaced by Miles Dempsey
Miles Dempsey
General Sir Miles Christopher Dempsey, GBE, KCB, DSO, MC was commander of the British Second Army during the D-Day landings in the Second World War...
. Anderson was given Eastern Command
Eastern Command (United Kingdom)
-History:The Command was established in 1905 from the Fourth Army Corps and was based in London. Among the formations raised under its supervision in World War I was the 12th Division. Its headquarters was initially located at Horseguards in London. During World War II the Command relocated to...
, widely viewed as a demotion. His career as a field commander was over and his last purely military appointment was as G.O.C.-in-C. East Africa Command
East Africa Command
-History:The formation was essentially an expansion of the East Africa Force which came into being in August 1940. It was reformed as a Command in September 1941 by General Sir William Platt and covered North East Africa, East Africa and British Central Africa. It established its own intelligence...
.
Post World War II
After the war he was military commander-in-chief and Governor of GibraltarGovernor of Gibraltar
The Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Gibraltar is the representative of the British monarch in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. The Governor is appointed by the British Monarch on the advice of the British Government...
, where his most notable achievements were to build new houses to relieve the poor housing conditions, and the constitutional changes which established a Legistative Council. He was promoted full general in July 1949 and retired in June 1952 when he was made a knight of the Venerable Order of Saint John
Venerable Order of Saint John
The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem , is a royal order of chivalry established in 1831 and found today throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Hong Kong, Ireland and the United States of America, with the world-wide mission "to prevent and relieve sickness and...
and lived mainly in the south of France. His last years were filled with tragedy: his only son died in action in Malaya
Malayan Emergency
The Malayan Emergency was a guerrilla war fought between Commonwealth armed forces and the Malayan National Liberation Army , the military arm of the Malayan Communist Party, from 1948 to 1960....
and his daughter also died after a long illness. Anderson died of pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
in Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
in 1959.
Honours and awards
- Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath 5 August 1943 (CB 11 July 1940)
- Military CrossMilitary CrossThe Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
22 September 1916 - Chief Commander, Legion of MeritLegion of MeritThe Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...
(United States) 10 August 1943 - Mentioned in Despatches 6 May 1932, 26 July 1940
- Commandeur, Légion d'HonneurLégion d'honneurThe Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
(France) - Croix de Guerre with PalmeCroix de guerreThe Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
(France) - Grand Cordon, Ouissam Alaouite (Morocco)
- Grand Cordon, Nichan IftikharNichan IftikharNichan Iftikhar or Atiq Nishan-i-Iftikhar or Nişan-i İftihar , was an Ottoman and Tunisian honorary order founded in 1835 by Al-Mustafa ibn Mahmud...
(Tunisia) - Grand Cordon, Star of Ethiopia 14 October 1949
- Knight of the Order of St JohnVenerable Order of Saint JohnThe Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem , is a royal order of chivalry established in 1831 and found today throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Hong Kong, Ireland and the United States of America, with the world-wide mission "to prevent and relieve sickness and...
4 January 1952
External links
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