Nigel James Moffatt Anderson, MC, DL,

FRGS The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers), often shortened to RGS, is a learned society and professional body for geography based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical scien ...

(1920 – 23 May 2008) was a British soldier, landowner, and

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

politician in

Wiltshire Wiltshire (; abbreviated Wilts) is a historic and ceremonial county in South West England with an area of . It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset to the southwest, Somerset to the west, Hampshire to the southeast, Gloucestershire ...

. He was Chairman of Wiltshire County Council from 1979 to 1983 and

High Sheriff of Wiltshire This is a list of the Sheriffs and (after 1 April 1974) High Sheriffs of Wiltshire. Until the 14th century, the shrievalty was held ''ex officio'' by the castellans of Old Sarum Castle. On 1 April 1974, under the provisions of the Local Go ...

in 1991.

Early life

Born in 1920 in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

, Australia, Anderson was educated at Marlborough College from 1934 to 1938 and matriculated at

Trinity College, Oxford (That which you wish to be secret, tell to nobody) , named_for = The Holy Trinity , established = , sister_college = Churchill College, Cambridge , president = Dame Hilary Boulding , location = Broad Street, Oxford OX1 3BH , coordinates ...

, in 1938, intending to follow his father and grandfather into the medical profession.Former High Sheriff dies at 88
''Salisbury Journal'' website, 4 June 2008
at ox.ac.ukOld Marlburian deaths
at marlboroughcollege.org

Career

Wiltshire_County_Council_Armorial_Banner

In 1939, some months before the outbreak of the

Second World War 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 opposi ...

, he joined the 4th ( Territorial Army) Battalion of the

Royal Welsh Fusiliers The Royal Welch Fusiliers ( cy, Ffiwsilwyr Brenhinol Cymreig) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, and part of the Prince of Wales' Division, that was founded in 1689; shortly after the Glorious Revolution. In 1702, it was designated ...

, and was commissioned a second lieutenant on 27 May 1939. First posted to

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

, he took part in the Norwegian Campaign of April to June 1940, one of the first British engagements of the war, in which his unit covered the withdrawal of the

Scots Guards The Scots Guards (SG) is one of the five Foot Guards regiments of the British Army. Its origins are as the personal bodyguard of King Charles I of England and Scotland. Its lineage can be traced back to 1642, although it was only placed on the E ...

from Krokstrand. At the age of twenty, he won one of the earliest

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level pre-1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth countries. The MC ...

es of the war. On his return from Norway, he was posted to

No. 2 Commando No. 2 Commando was a battalion-sized British Commando unit of the British Army during the Second World War. The first No.2 Commando was formed on 22 June 1940 for a parachuting role at Cambrai Barracks, Perham Down, near Tidworth, Hants. The unit ...

and took part in raids on the French coast. He was seriously wounded in 1941. After the war, Anderson studied

geography Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth description") is a field of science devoted to the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, an ...

and

anthropology Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including past human species. Social anthropology studies patterns of be ...

and became a

schoolmaster The word schoolmaster, or simply master, refers to a male school teacher. This usage survives in British independent schools, both secondary and preparatory, and a few Indian boarding schools (such as The Doon School) that were modelled afte ...

Radley College Radley College, formally St Peter's College, Radley, is a public school (independent boarding school for boys) near Radley, Oxfordshire, England, which was founded in 1847. The school covers including playing fields, a golf course, a lake, an ...

. While there, he was the commanding officer of the school's Combined Cadet Force from 1948 to 1953. In 1952, he inherited from a cousin the Hamptworth estate at

Landford __NOTOC__ Landford is a village and civil parish southeast of Salisbury in Wiltshire, England. To the south and east of the parish is the county of Hampshire and the New Forest National Park. The parish includes the small village of Nomansland ...

near

Salisbury Salisbury ( ) is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers Avon, Nadder and Bourne. The city is approximately from Southampton and from Bath. Salisbury is in the southeast of ...

and went to live there the next year. In 1953, he was first elected to

Wiltshire County Council Wiltshire County Council (established in 1889) was the county council of Wiltshire in the South West of England, an elected local Government body responsible for most local government services in the county. As a result of the 2009 restructur ...

, on which he served for thirty years. He chaired a number of committees, was an

alderman An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members t ...

of the county, and succeeded

Frank Willan Group Captain Frank Andrew Willan, (21 December 1915 – 12 November 1981) was an English aviator, Royal Air Force officer and Conservative politician. He was Chairman of Wiltshire County Council from 1973 to 1979. Early life The son of Briga ...

as Chairman of the Council from 1979 to 1983, when he retired. In October 1974, he was Gazetted a Deputy Lieutenant for

, and in 1991 he was appointed as the 999th

. From 1981 to 1985 he chaired the committee of the

Wiltshire Victoria County History The Wiltshire Victoria County History, properly called The Victoria History of the County of Wiltshire but commonly referred to as VCH Wiltshire, is an encyclopaedic history of the county of Wiltshire in England. It forms part of the overall Vic ...

. He was also chairman of the Wiltshire Scouts Association and president of the Wiltshire Youth Orchestra and of the Wiltshire branch of the

Country Landowners Association The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) is a membership organisation for owners of land, property and businesses in rural England and Wales. It was until quite recently called the Country Landowners' Association. Membership CLA members ...

. He died on 23 May 2008, at the age of eighty-eight. In his book ''Battling for Peace'' (1999), Richard Needham, Wiltshire member of parliament and Northern Ireland minister, recalls attending a service at

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the Unite ...

in 1991:

The former chairman of the county council and high sheriff for the year, Nigel Anderson, was a redoubtable old soldier who had a profound dislike of Mrs Thatcher and kept muttering "Well done, keep it up" in a loud whisper at every opportunity when there was a lull in the service.Richard Needham, ''Battling for Peace: Northern Ireland's Longest-Serving British Minister'' (Blackstaff Press, 1999) p. 214

Family

Anderson met his wife, Daphne, while serving with the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

in Northern Ireland, and they had one son, Donald.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Anderson, Nigel 1920 births 2008 deaths Alumni of Trinity College, Oxford Conservative Party (UK) councillors Councillors in South West England Deputy Lieutenants of Wiltshire High Sheriffs of Wiltshire People educated at Marlborough College Politicians from Wiltshire Military personnel from Wiltshire Recipients of the Military Cross Members of Wiltshire County Council Royal Welch Fusiliers officers Fellows of the Royal Geographical Society Australian emigrants to the United Kingdom

Early life

Career

Family

See also

References