Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Military Service

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Additional Information

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Son of James and Louise Anderson. He attended S.S. #10 Usborne from 1920 to 1925 and Exeter High School from 1925 to 1930. He subsequently attended the University of Western Ontario from 1930 to 1932 and then taught at the Thames Road School and Chemins in Northern Ontario before joining Kerr-Addison Gold Mines Ltd of Rouyn.

Pilot Officer Anderson enrolled in the Royal Canadian Air Force at North Bay on 28 October 1940. He took his basic training at 1 Manning Depot Toronto and RCAF Station Trenton. On 28 January 1941 he attended 1 Initial Training School at Toronto and then 3 Elementary Flying Training School at London. He took advanced flying training at 1 Service Flying Training School at Camp Borden, graduating 31 July 1941 and being commissioned as a pilot officer in recognition of his flying abilities. On 14 August 1941, he was posted to England and after taking instruction in the Vickers Wellington III bomber at 23 Operational Training Unit, was posted to 419 Squadron 1 January 1942.

In February 1942, two of Germany's few remaining battleships were blockaded in Brest, France. From the German viewpoint, the ships were not safe from enemy attack, and were of no use as long as they were cooped up in a French harbour. It was therefore decided that the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau would break out of Brest and race down the channel to the German naval base at Kiel. The British were aware of this, though, were taken completely by surprise and were unable to deploy heavy naval forces in time to block the eastern end of the English Channel. Pilot Officer Anderson is commemorated on the Runneymede Memorial and on a bronze plaque on the Cenotaph located in St. Marys, Ontario.

Commemorated on Page 54 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance. Request a copy of this page. Download high resolution copy of this page.