Description
Mr. Anderson describes the many locations in which he saw action, with emphasis on the Hindenburg Line and the handling of prisoners.
George Anderson
George Anderson was born in Gateshead, England on May 16, 1887. He and his wife emigrated to Canada to join his wife’s family in Saskatchewan. Interested in the military, he joined the South Saskatchewan Regiment as a militiaman in 1911. On March 14, 1916, he enlisted for overseas service with the 210th Battalion at Moose Jaw, despite having poor vision in one eye. Mr. Anderson then joined the 46th Battalion as a sergeant. He fought in several major battles; Amiens, Arras, Canal du Nord, Hindenburg Line (Drocourt- Queant), and Valenciennes, but was able to remember little of his action. He returned home to an empty house, divorcing his wife soon after. He rejoined the militia as a Regimental Sergeant Major, and served Canada during the Second World War training combat troops. After the war, he resided in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.
Transcript
We went to Arras first and through the Canal du Nord, and then through the Hindenburg Line. The 46th reinforced and the Hindenburg Line was taken ahead of us and we went up behind and went through the Hindenburg Line. The night before, we were shown maps of the front line and everything, the German front line. And we were ordered to go over the top and take no prisoners. There were hundreds of prisoners taken that weren’t shot. I saw one corporal shoot a German, or rather shoot a German prisoner, and then shoot him. That’s the only one I saw shot. Now I went into a farmhouse, it was out in the open, and an old man and woman were at the door and they pointed down the stairs, and I found two Germans down there lying on a mattress and I ordered them upstairs. What happened to them I don’t know. I guess they were taken prisoner. I don’t know how many prisoners we took. We were weak at that time, that’s why the order was given to take no prisoners. And then we took the city of Valenciennes. There was nobody there.