British Army Veterinary Corps
Alexander Campbell ANDERSON
Captain
Died 20 April 1915 · Aged 35
His story
Captain Alexander Campbell Anderson MRCVS was born in Camberwell, London, England, on 28 June 1879. He was the son of Mrs. M Anderson of Carden Road, Peckham Rye, London.
After completing his schooling at Alleyn’s School in London, he qualified from the Royal Veterinary College, London, in July 1905.
Alexander Anderson joined the Army Veterinary Corps in August 1905 and was promoted to Captain in 1910. In 1911, he served in India and was awarded the Delhi Durbar Medal for participating in the coronation of King George V as Emperor of India.
In May 1913, he was seconded for service with the Egyptian Army and stayed there until the outbreak of the Great War in August 1914.
In April 1915, Captain Anderson served as the Assistant Director of Veterinary Services of the 27th Division with his headquarters in the remnants of the Hotel Chatelaine in Ypres, which had been almost destroyed by shellfire.
On the morning of 20 April 1915, as he was leaving his office, he heard a shell coming in his direction and ran between two horses for cover. When the shell burst, a fragment struck him in the face, killing him instantly.
Captain Anderson was 35 years old when he was killed, and while his exact grave site is unknown, a special memorial had been erected for him in Ypres Reservoir Cemetery.
Captain Anderson’s death is recorded in The Veterinary Record dated 1 May 1915.
Photographs and documents
Before the war
- Nationality
- British
- Date of Birth
- 28 June 1879
- Place of Birth
- Camberwell, London, England
- Veterinary College and Date of Graduation
- London - 14 July 1905
Military service
- Last Rank
- Captain
- Regiment/Service
- British Army Veterinary Corps
- Secondary Regiment
- 1st Division Royal Field Artillery
- Secondary Unit
- 27th Division
- First Theatre of War
- France 1914
Medals and commemoration
- Name on RCVS Honour Board
- Yes
- Name In Officers who died in Great War
- Yes
- Medals and Awards
- 1914/15 Star; British War Medal 1914-1918; Victory Medal
Death and burial
- Date of Death
- 20 April 1915
- Age at Death
- 35
- Place of Death
- Ypres, France
- Cause of Death
- Wounds in action caused by shell fire
- Cemetery
- Ypres Reservoir Cemetery
- Location
- Ypres, Belgium
- Grave Reference
- The exact location of his grave site is unknown. A special memorial erected
- Commonwealth War Grave
- Yes - CWGC Headstone
- Emblem or Badge on Headstone
- Army Veterinary Corps Logo
Sources and further reading
- CWGC casualty and commemoration record
- Find a Grave memorial
- The Veterinary Record, 1 May 1915 — cited in the earlier biography
- Telegram reporting Captain Anderson’s death — reproduced document
- The Newcastle Daily Journal April 26 1915 — reproduced document
Cite this biography
Graham Hodgkins and Pete Matthews, “Alexander Campbell Anderson”, Veterinary Virtual War Memorial, https://vetsremembered.org/people/alexander_campbell_anderson/.
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