Captain Donald Clive Anderson (18 April 1897 – 2 January 1957)''The Times'', 3 January 1957. was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

military consultant and historian. He joined the

British Indian Army The British Indian Army, commonly referred to as the Indian Army, was the main military of the British Raj before its dissolution in 1947. It was responsible for the defence of the British Indian Empire, including the princely states, which co ...

before fighting in the

Mesopotamia Mesopotamia ''Mesopotamíā''; ar, بِلَاد ٱلرَّافِدَيْن or ; syc, ܐܪܡ ܢܗܪ̈ܝܢ, or , ) is a historical region of Western Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the F ...

and

Palestine __NOTOC__ Palestine may refer to: * State of Palestine, a state in Western Asia * Palestine (region), a geographic region in Western Asia * Palestinian territories, territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely the West Bank (including East ...

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. Anderson toured

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

before working in

Sudan Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...

on ''

The Four Feathers ''The Four Feathers'' is a 1902 adventure novel by British writer A. E. W. Mason that has inspired many films of the same title. In December 1901, ''Cornhill Magazine'' announced the title as one of two new serial stories to be published in t ...

'' film in 1939, working for the Ministry of Information during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, and following the war working on

Festival of Britain The Festival of Britain was a national exhibition and fair that reached millions of visitors throughout the United Kingdom in the summer of 1951. Historian Kenneth O. Morgan says the Festival was a "triumphant success" during which people: ...

Early life

Donald Anderson was born in

Cookham Cookham is a historic River Thames, Thames-side village and civil parishes in England, civil parish on the north-eastern edge of Berkshire, England, north-north-east of Maidenhead and opposite the village of Bourne End, Buckinghamshire, Bourne ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. He probably attended the Quetta cadet college. He was commissioned on to the Unattached List,

on 15 November 1915, was admitted to the British Indian Army on 18 November and was attached to 122nd Rajputana Infantry. The regiment was stationed in India at

Kohat Kohat ( ps, کوهاټ; ur, ) is a city that serves as the capital of the Kohat District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is regarded as a centre of the Bangash tribe of Pashtuns, who have lived in the region since the late 15th century ...

until late 1916, entraining on 1 November 1916, embarking on 3 November 1916 and landing at

Basra Basra ( ar, ٱلْبَصْرَة, al-Baṣrah) is an Iraqi city located on the Shatt al-Arab. It had an estimated population of 1.4 million in 2018. Basra is also Iraq's main port, although it does not have deep water access, which is hand ...

, Mesopotamia, on 8 November 1916. He was promoted

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

on 15 November 1916. In early 1918 a company was detached from the regiment and sent to Palestine to form part of a new unit, the 2nd battalion, 154th Indian Infantry. On 31 May 1918 he was posted to 2nd battalion, 154th Indian Infantry as well, being made Adjutant on 9 June 1918. The regiment formed part of 233rd Brigade, 75th Division and fought in Palestine. He held the rank of acting Captain commanding a company from 28 May 1917 to 24 September 1917, 24 September 1917 to 20 November 1917 and 17 February 1918 to 14 November 1918. Captain Donald Clive Anderson, 2nd 154th Indian Infantry 1921

Captain Donald Clive Anderson, 2nd 154th Indian Infantry 1921

He remained in the British Indian Army after the war, being promoted Captain on 15 November 1919 but retired on 15 March 1923 under the terms of the Royal Warrant of 25 April 1923, owing to the reduction of the Indian Army. After the war Anderson returned to Britain, visiting family in

Guernsey Guernsey (; Guernésiais: ''Guernési''; french: Guernesey) is an island in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy that is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a British Crown Dependency. It is the second largest of the Channel Islands ...

in 1920.

Donald Clive Anderson skiing in Murren 1920

An early skier, Anderson spent the winter of 1920–21 in Switzerland in

Mürren Mürren is a traditional Walser mountain village in the Bernese Highlands of Switzerland, at an elevation of above sea level and it cannot be reached by public road. It is also one of the popular tourist spots in Switzerland, and summer and wi ...

, the town where the famous

Kandahar ski club The Kandahar Ski Club was founded by Arnold Lunn and other British skiersAmongst these was Andrew Irvine who would lose his life a few months later with George Mallory in their attempt to ascend Everest. on 30 January 1924 in Mürren, Switzerlan ...

was set up in 1924. The name for the club is said to be named after the "Roberts of Kandahar-Cup" first run in 1911. During the 1880 Afghanistan War Lord Roberts won a battle in Kandahar. In early 1921 Anderson sailed to Australia on the P&O ship '' SS Macedonia'' and returned to England in the early 1930s. While in Australia, Anderson visited Il Parran, Glenn Innes (1923),

Hobart Hobart ( ; Nuennonne/Palawa kani: ''nipaluna'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Home to almost half of all Tasmanians, it is the least-populated Australian state capital city, and second-small ...

(August 1924), visiting Amy Gant, Anderson's mother's first cousin wife of

Tetley Gant Tetley Gant, CMG (9 July 1853 – 7 February 1928) was an Australian barrister, Tasmanian politician and chancellor. Early life – England Tetley was born in Manningham, Yorkshire, England, the son of James Greaves Tetley Gant, (1815–1873), ...

, member of the Tasmanian Legislative Council. In 1924 with C. L. Morell, Anderson toured several stations in the Northern Territory and Queensland – Barclay Downs, Lawn Hill Station,

Alexandra Alexandra () is the feminine form of the given name Alexander (, ). Etymologically, the name is a compound of the Greek verb (; meaning 'to defend') and (; GEN , ; meaning 'man'). Thus it may be roughly translated as "defender of man" or "prot ...

– before returning through

Goondiwindi Goondiwindi () is a rural town and locality in the Goondiwindi Region, Queensland, Australia. It is on the border of Queensland and New South Wales. In the , Goondiwindi had a population of 6,355 people. Geography Goondiwindi is on the MacInt ...

and Pukawidgi near

Inverell Inverell is a large town in northern New South Wales, Australia, situated on the Macintyre River, close to the Queensland border. It is also the centre of Inverell Shire. Inverell is located on the Gwydir Highway on the western slopes of the No ...

in 1925.

Career

Anderson was the military consultant for the 1939 film ''

'' directed by

Zoltan Korda Zoltan Korda (June 3, 1895 – October 13, 1961) was a Hungarian-born motion picture screenwriter, director and producer. He made his first film in Hungary in 1918, and worked with his brother Alexander Korda on film-making there and in London. ...

, starring John Clements,

Ralph Richardson Sir Ralph David Richardson (19 December 1902 – 10 October 1983) was an English actor who, with John Gielgud and Laurence Olivier, was one of the trinity of male actors who dominated the British stage for much of the 20th century. He wo ...

June Duprez June Ada Rose Duprez (14 May 1918 – 30 October 1984) was an English film actress. Early life The daughter of American comedian Fred Duprez and Australian Florence Isabelle Matthews, she was born in Teddington, Middlesex, England, during ...

and

C. Aubrey Smith Sir Charles Aubrey Smith (21 July 1863 – 20 December 1948) was an English Test cricketer who became a stage and film actor, acquiring a niche as the officer-and-gentleman type, as in the first sound version of ''The Prisoner of Zenda'' (1937) ...

. Captain Anderson ensured the accuracy of the military uniforms and procedure in England and

. During filming, Captain Anderson dressed as a Sudanese tribesman and led the charge of Khalifa's cavalry during filming. During

, Anderson worked for the Ministry of Information using experience gained in the making of the ''Four Feathers''. He was also the

n specialist for the Ministry because of his time spent in Australia. After the war Anderson worked as Chief Press Officer for the

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, 1951.

Shakespeare

In the 1930s Anderson researched the idea that

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

may have been written by

Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford (; 12 April 155024 June 1604) was an English peer and courtier of the Elizabethan era. Oxford was heir to the second oldest earldom in the kingdom, a court favourite for a time, a sought-after patron of ...

and was a friend of John Thomas Looney

Published work

''Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research'', Spring 1953. Vol. XXXI. No. 125. McGuffie, T. H., ed. (L. E. Buckell, Major G. Tylden, Major P. Young, W. Y. Carman, Dr. F. Herrmann, C. C. P. Lawson, Major J. H. Busby, C. T. Atkinson, S. H. Ward, Major N. P. Dawnay, G. O. Rickword, Captain D. C. Anderson, Captain R. A. Ingham Clark, et al.). Published by Society for Army Historical Research, London, 1953.

Family

The son of Frank Anderson, Donald had one brother Patrick and two sisters, Blanche and Christine. Patrick died in an aeroplane crash while in the

Royal Flying Corps "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colors = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , decorations ...

on 19 October 1917, aged 18; he was based at Waddington,

Turnhouse Turnhouse is a suburb in the west of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, near Maybury, Gogar, Cammo and West Craigs. The area is south east of Edinburgh International Airport, and Turnhouse is also the name for the former Royal Air Force ...

and

Midlothian Midlothian (; gd, Meadhan Lodainn) is a historic county, registration county, lieutenancy area and one of 32 council areas of Scotland used for local government. Midlothian lies in the east-central Lowlands, bordering the City of Edinburgh, ...

. Anderson married English author Verily Bruce in 1940. They had five children: Marian,

Rachel Rachel () was a Biblical figure, the favorite of Jacob's two wives, and the mother of Joseph and Benjamin, two of the twelve progenitors of the tribes of Israel. Rachel's father was Laban. Her older sister was Leah, Jacob's first wife. Her aun ...

, Edward, Janie, and Alexandra. DC Anderson

References

* ''The London Gazette'' 26 March 1918 * Indian Army List January 1919 * Quarterly Army List March 1922 * Commonwealth War Graves Commission

External links

"Navy, Army, and Air Force Institutes in War and Peace" by Captain Donald Anderson, late 6th Rajputana Rifles
''Royal United Services Institution Journal'', Volume 85, Issue 537, 1940.
"Naval Canteen Launches", by Captain Donald Anderson, late 6th Rajputana Rifles
''Royal United Services Institution Journal'', Volume 85, Issue 538, 1940.

Christopher Trevelyan, King-Emperor {{DEFAULTSORT:Anderson, Donald Clive 1897 births 1957 deaths Indian Army personnel of World War I People from Cookham British Indian Army officers Military personnel from Berkshire