ANDERSON, Ralph
| Service Number: | 181 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Captain |
| Last Unit: | 52nd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | West Maitland, New South Wales, Australia, November 1891 |
| Home Town: | Hay, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Melbourne Grammar School, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation: | Jackeroo |
| Died: | Died of wounds, Belgium, 8 June 1917 |
| Cemetery: |
Westhof Farm Cemetery Plot I, Row C, Grave 10 Headstone Inscription "GRANT HIM LORD WITH HIS DEAR WAR WORN MOTHER JOY & PEACE IN PARADISE" |
| Memorials: | Melbourne Grammar School WW1 Fallen Honour Roll |
World War 1 Service
| 20 Dec 1914: | Involvement Private, 181, 7th Light Horse Regiment, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '2' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Ayrshire embarkation_ship_number: A33 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Dec 1914: | Embarked Private, 181, 7th Light Horse Regiment, HMAT Ayrshire, Sydney | |
| 8 Jun 1917: | Involvement Captain, 52nd Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: awm_unit: 52nd Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Captain awm_died_date: 1917-06-08 |
Help us honour Ralph Anderson's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Sharyn Roberts
Son of Rev. Ernest and Mrs. Amelia Constance Isabel ANDERSON
Ralph attended the Melbourne Church of England Grammar School and entered the Preparatory School in 1900. He came up to the Senior School in 1905 and was in the footballand athletic teams of 1909. He left at the end of 1909 and went to Dookie Agricultural College, where he obtained his diploma in 1912. He then went to Queensland and when he enlisted in 1914 was managing his own property near Longreach. He joined the 7th Light Horse, and was all through the Gallipoli campaign. On 17th March 1916 he transferred to 52nd Battalion, and was appointed 2nd Lieutenant, being promoted to Lieutenant on 17th June. He took part in the Battle of Pozieres, and on 18th April 1917 was promoted to Captain.
War Services Old Melburnians 1914 - 1918
Biography contributed by Stephen Brooks
Captain Ralph Anderson was wounded during the Battle of Messines on 7 June, 1917 receiving a shell wound to his thigh and taken to the 77th Field Ambulance but died the following day of wounds received in action. He was 25 years of age.
His father was the Bishop of Riverina the Right Rev. Ernest Augustus Anderson, and he was consecrated to his huge diocese of 110,000 square miles in St Paul’s Cathedral, Melbourne, in 1885.
Ralph had a famous brother also serve in the AIF, Major Ernest Sleeman Anderson, M.C., M.I.D. of the 1st Australian Tunnelling Company, Australian Engineers.
Biography contributed by Evan Evans
From 52nd Battalion AIF
Ralph ANDERSON signed up early for the war, in October 1914 at 23 years of age. He listed his occupation as jackeroo, so his first unit naturally was the 7th Light Horse Regiment, which departed on 20 December 1914. The fact that his middle and ring fingers on his left hand had been amputated didn’t seem to worry the Army. At Gallipoli he was promoted to corporal and was hospitalised with diarrhoea and influenza. In March 1916, he was transferred to the new 52nd Bn and promoted to 2nd lieutenant. When they arrived in France in June, he was promoted to lieutenant, then promoted to captain in April 1917. At Messines, Anderson was shot by German snipers and severely wounded in the thigh of the first day of the battle. He was taken to the 77th Field Ambulance station but died there the next day (8th June).
His brother Major Ernest Sleeman ANDERSON MC MID served with the 1st Tunnelling Company during the war and was directly involved with the massive mines exploded under the German lines to commence the battle of Messines on 7 June 1917. He returned to Australia.
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