Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Herbert George Anderson was born in Cowell, Eyre Peninsula, South Australia and his hometown was Salisbury. He was born on the 22nd of July, 1893. Hebert was more commonly known as George. Herbert went to school in Lyndoch Public School and he only had one known parent who was Elizabeth Anderson, his mother. His occupation was labourer.

He was enlisted in the war on the 16th of August 1915. His rank was Lance Corporal and his service number was 3227. The position of a Lance Corporal is the third enlisted rank in order of the seniority.   

On the 6th of August 1916, Herbert George Anderson died while in battle at the age of 23. There is no known grave of his name however, he is named in the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial.

-          Australian National War Memorial (WW1)

-          Australian War Memorial

-          Roll of Honour

-          Australian National War Memorial – France

-          Villers-Bretonneux Memorial

Many people from Western Australia and South Australia were forced to go to Gallipoli. Herbert was one of these people. However, many of these new recruits were stopped in Egypt and Herbert was one of them. When some of the battalions came back, the group split to make battalions and Herbert was also in one of them. He was in the 48 Battalion. He sacrificed his life of Australia and rested in peace.

Herbert George Anderson had a connection to the war because he was an Australian representative and was known as one of the fair dinkum at the start – for whom war wasn’t an adventure but a deadly dangerous decision. 

Herbert George Anderson was important just like every other soldier was. He served his country with all that he had and sacrificed his life so everyone in Australian could live a peaceful life that they are today.

Son of Mades Christian ANDERSON and Elizabeth Ellen nee BROOKS

Herbert George Anderson enlsited as a the stark reality of what had happened at Gallipoli was becoming apparent.  He was thus in the group of men classified as "Fair Dinkums" - going to war was no longer perceived as an adventure but rather a dangerous and deadly serious business.

Enlisted into the 11th Reinforcements of the 16th Battalion, the manning of which was drawn from both WA and SA, Herbert embarked on the HMAT Benall on 27 October 1915, thus qualifying for the 1914/15 Star although they were to be too late to land at Gallipoli.

Instead he and his colleagues waited in Egypt for the battalions returning from ANZAC.  The 16th battalion, and the rest of the 4th Brigade was split to create four new Battalions and the 12th Brigade by 'seeding' the new unit with experienced officers and men from the parent Battalion, as part of the process of the 'doubling' of the AIF.  The 4th 12th and 13th Brigades were to comprise the newly raised 4th Division.

Thus Herbert found himself posted to the 48th Battalion along with some of the other einforcement draft of which he was part.

The 4th Division embarked for the Western Front from April onwards; on arrival in France they were shipped by trainto the far north of France near Armentieres in what was known as "The Nursery Sector".

However in late June early July the 1st, 2nd and 4th Divisions moved south to the Somme.

On the 23rd July the AIF Divisions were committed to battle near the village  - or rather what was left of it- of Pozieres.  The 4th Division was not committed to battle until the last phase of the Pozieres operation.  The 48th relieved the 27th on the crest of the feature known as "The Windmill" on the 6th of August.  When they took over they reported that no one was left alive in the forward trenches.  They like their comrades in the 17th Battalion, were subjected ot horrendous shelling. 

It was in the course of this relief operation that Herbert Anderson was killed - like many of his comrades lost at that time his body was lost in the detritus of battle and so he has no known grave.