12464: A Patriotic Huntly Family
Creators: name: Project Team, Lest We Forget
Publisher: name: University of Oxford
Year: 2024
Subjects: classificationCode: 430304
subject: British history
classificationCode: 430308
subject: European history (excl. British, classical Greek and Roman)
classificationCode: 430316
subject: International history

description: This story comes from a newspaper cutting, which is undated.This has in it five photographs of soldiers and a short article. The article reads: "The five sons of Mr and Mrs Anderson, Whitehouse, Cleanbrae, Huntly. Their names are:- Top row reading from left to right " Private Thos. Anderson, 1st Canadian Contingent (at present at home wounded); Piper Frank Anderson, 1st Gordons (prisoner of war); Private A. Anderson, Canadian Field Ambulance Bat??; Private Fred Anderson, 5th Gordons, and Private Robert Anderson, 5th Gordons."All five soldiers are my great uncles. My father, their nephew, was Pipe Major Walter "Cherry" Anderson who was in the 1st Battalion, Gordon Highlanders, in the Second World War. His name "Cherry" came about because he was thorough with his boot cleaning using 'Cherry' boot polish. He had a good reputation and was an outstanding Piper and dancer. Sadly he died not long after he left the army.The five soldiers are also uncles of Pipe Major Albert Anderson who was a cousin of Pipe Major Walter "Cherry" Anderson.In the 1911 census, seen on ScotlandsPeople, George and Jessie Anderson are listed at Clean brae Cottage along with a son, Albert aged 9, and a daughter, Janet aged 13. In the 1891 census, seen on findmypast.co.uk, George and Jessie Anderson are listed with some of their children at Gartly. Sons listed are George aged 8, Alexander aged 7, James aged 6, Thomas aged 4, Walter aged 2 and Robert aged 0. The 1901 census has the family still at Gartly. Walter and Robert are listed as well as Francis aged 7 and Frederick B aged 5. This must be the family if the five soldiers in the newspaper cutting. Francis will be the Frank mentioned in the newspaper cutting.The birth records of three of the Anderson sons, obtained from ScotlandsPeople, show that Thomas was born on November 25 1886, Robert was born on March 8 1891 and Francis was born on November 26 1893. They were all born at Gartly. All the birth records give Jessie's maiden surname as Barclay as well as indicating that George and Jessie were married on August 14 1875 at Keith.I have a newspaper cutting from a Canadian newspaper of an article about the death of Thomas Anderson. This indicates that he died on September 28, 1965, at Kilmarnock, Scotland, aged 78. It says he came to Canada in 1907 and lived at Winnipeg since that time. He was employed by the City of Winnipeg until his retirement in 1958. His wife was called Nellie.I have a newspaper cutting of a Scottish newspaper of a death notice for Robert Anderson. It indicates that he died on September 3, 1981, at Viking, Canada, aged 91. It was he was retired chief of Canadian Police, Alberta and husband of Chris.The death registration record for Francis Anderson indicates that he died on December 21, 1937, at Rothesay, Bute, Scotland, aged 44. It says he was a seaman and married to Agnes McLean.The death registration record for Frederick Birch Anderson indicates that he died on May 15, 1964, at Kilmarnock, Scotland, aged 68. It says he was a Security Officer (Retired) and widower of Mary Crawford.In the newspaper cutting one soldier is only given the initial A with no first name spelt out. It does refer to Canadian Field Ambulance. One of the children listed in the 1891 census is Alexander, aged 7, and so born about 1884. It says that he was born in Huntly. It seemed likely that this is the A. Anderson in the newspaper cutting as Albert would be too young. A search for the birth record of Alexander on ScotlandsPeople was not successful. It may be that the record has been lost or that the birth was not registered or that it has been wrongly indexed.A search of the Canadian Military records on ancestry.co.uk produces two relating to Alexander Anderson. Looking at the details it is seen that they do, indeed, relate to Alexander Anderson, son of George and Jessie Anderson. The first is his attestation paper. The date of attestation was 25th September, 1914 and the place Valcartier, Quebec. It indicates he was born on March 24th 1884, had served 3 years in the South African Constabulary and that his trade or calling was C. P. R. Engineer.The second has his discharge documents and service record. His discharge certificate is dated 22/05/1919 and indicates that he was awarded the M.M. His regimental number was 33273 and he served in No. 3 Field Ambulance in France. He was in hospital from 05/09/1917 to 15/10/1917 suffering from gas poisoning. He had several other periods in hospital due to a variety of causes. He became lance corporal on 19/10/1916 and corporal on 15/04/1917. Later he became an acting sergeant.