Brigadier General
Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...
Sir Robert Murray McCheyne Anderson, (6 August 1865 – 30 December 1940) was a successful Sydney businessman and
Australian Army
The Australian Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Army is commanded by the Chief of Army (Austral ...
officer. He served as head of 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 ...
-based Administrative Headquarters for the
Australian Imperial Force during much of the
First World War
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 ...
, finishing the conflict as a brigadier general.
Early life and business career
Anderson was born on 6 August 1865 in The Mint,
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
, the son of a policeman. After attending
Sydney Grammar School
(Praise be to God)
, established =
, type = Independent, day school
, gender = Boys
, religious_affiliation = None
, slogan =
, headmaster = R. B. Malpass
, founder = Laurence Hynes Halloran
, chairman = ...
, he worked at the
Bank of New Zealand
Bank of New Zealand (BNZ) is one of New Zealand's Big Four (banking), big four banks and has been operating in the country since the first office was opened in Auckland in October 1861 followed shortly after by the first branch in Dunedin in D ...
. Initially working in New Zealand, he was made manager of a branch of the bank upon his return to Sydney.
[Walsh, 1979, pp. 62–63]
Anderson was a member of the militia, having been commissioned as a
second lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank.
Australia
The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...
in 1886. He was later promoted to
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 ...
in 1891. However, the day after being promoted to
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
in April 1894, he resigned his commission although remained in the reserves.
Anderson later worked in local government from 1897 to 1900, firstly as Sydney's treasurer and then as town clerk. He then turned his hand to commerce and entered partnership in
Allen Taylor & Co. Ltd, a timber and shipping merchant. Successful in this endeavour, he was later a royal commissioner on the sugar industry.
First World War
In 1915, Anderson provided advice on the re-organisation of the paymaster's branch of the Defence Department, struggling to cope with the expansion of the military as a result of the war, and which was subsequently implemented by the Minister of Defence,
George Pearce
Sir George Foster Pearce KCVO (14 January 1870 – 24 June 1952) was an Australian politician who served as a Senator for Western Australia from 1901 to 1938. He began his career in the Labor Party but later joined the National Labor Party, t ...
.
[Scott, 1941, p. 277] He also reported on the management of certain government departments.
Late that year, Anderson was appointed deputy quartermaster general of the
Australian Imperial Force (AIF), then based in Egypt. Brought in to implement business practices to the organisation of AIF logistics, he was made a
colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...
and successfully improved supply arrangements and established rest camps for soldiers on leave. When the AIF shifted to the
Western Front in 1916, he relocated to London as commander of the Australian Administrative Headquarters. Within a few months, he had re-negotiated the supply and accounting arrangements then in place with the War Office for maintaining and supplying the AIF.
[Bean, 1941, pp.173175]
Anderson's work in this capacity was such that by the end of the year, he had been promoted to
brigadier general
Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...
and recommended for appointment as a
Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, George III, King George III.
...
by the AIF commander, General
Sir William Birdwood.
His award was duly gazetted in January 1917, and within a few months, he was appointed
Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George III.
It is named in honour ...
.
His work in London completed, Anderson returned to Australia in late 1917, with stops in Egypt and France. In 1918, he chaired a commission in New Zealand on defence department expenditure.
Later life
After the war, Anderson advised the New South Wales government in relation to financial and commercial matters. He was also an advisor to the Commonwealth treasury. He gradually became an important part of the business community in Sydney, becoming involved as a chairman or director in a number of businesses. His wife, Jean, whom he married in 1891, gradually became seriously ill and died in December 1928. Anderson himself died at his home on 30 December 1940, survived by seven children.
Notes
References
*
*
*G. P. Walsh (1979
'Anderson, Sir Robert Murray McCheyne (1865–1940)' Australian Dictionary of Biography
The ''Australian Dictionary of Biography'' (ADB or AuDB) is a national co-operative enterprise founded and maintained by the Australian National University (ANU) to produce authoritative biographical articles on eminent people in Australia's ...
, Volume 7, Melbourne University Press, Australia.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Anderson, Robert
1865 births
1940 deaths
Australian generals
Australian Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George
Australian military personnel of World War I
Businesspeople from Sydney
Military personnel from Sydney
Colony of New South Wales people