Anderson, Cecil Leland

415 Lance Corporal Cecil Leland Anderson - 44th Battalion AIF

Cecil Leland Anderson was born in Williamstown Victoria in 1888 to Charles and Eliza Anderson. The family soon moved across to Western Australia and took up residence in Fremantle. 

Charles Anderson resided in Carrington Street Fremantle and after leaving school Cecil left home and worked in the bush becoming a stockman.

On the 11th January 1916 Cecil enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. The medical examiner passed him as fit for service and recorded his physical attributes as;

Height - 5 feet 8 inches tall;

Weight - 142lbs;

Chest Measurement - 34-36 inches;

Complexion - Fresh;

Eyes - Blue;

Hair - Dark Brown.

After his successful enlistment Cecil was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp and then to Claremont Showgrounds where he was assigned to "B" Company of the 44th Battalion AIF.

Cecil trained with this group in WA until the 6th June 1916 when the 44th Battalion departed Fremantle Harbour aboard the troopship HMAT Suevic. After the long sea voyage the ship arrived in Plymouth England on the 21st July 1916.

The men were then disembarked and sent into the 3rd Division Training Grounds on the Salisbury Plain. They trained here till November 1916 and were then sent to France.

In December 1916 the 44th Battalion went into the line for the first time in the vicinity of Armentieres. They spent the first few months here and then moved to the southern Belgium area near Ploegsteert. 

In June 1917 the 44th Battalion took part in the Battle of Messines and Cecil came through unscathed and was subsequently promoted to the rank of Lance Corporal.

In September to November 1917 the 44th Battalion took part in the Third Battle of Ypres, seeing much action at Zonnebeke, Broodseinde Ridge and Passchendaele. Cecil again came through these actions unscathed and was so far leading a charmed life with out being wounded.

From November 1917 to March 1918 the 44th Battalion continued to hold the line in Belgium between Ypres and Messines.

On 21st March 1918 the Germans launched their large offensive which broke through the British Armies position in the south. The Australians were rushed down to the Somme area to attempt to halt this advance.

Cecil and the 44th Battalion came into contact with the Germans in late March 1918 near Sailly Laurette where they fought a sharp action against the Germans. The Germans advance was brought to a halt in this sector.

The photo below shows Cecil (on right) with two mates, Edwin Byers and John King, having a rest in a haystack in the French village of Bonnay in April 1918.

From April to July 1918 the 44th Battalion continued to hold the front line around Hamel and Villers-Bretonneux. On July 4th 1918, Cecil took part in the 44th Battalion's action which captured the village of Hamel.

He again came through unscathed but on the 12th July 1918 he reported sick and was sent to the Field Ambulance and then the 47th Casualty Clearing Station where it was found he was suffering from an abscess and tonsilitis. After a few days at hospital on the French coast at Rouen, Cecil was shipped to England and was admitted to Fulham Military Hospital. He had ten days here and on the 30th July 1918 was transferred to the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Harefield.

A few days later on the 2nd August 1918 Cecil was cleared to leave hospital and was sent to No.3 Command Depot Camp at Hurdcott. While he had been released from hospital his fitness level was graded as B.1.b which meant that he was not yet fit enough to return to the Western Front.

Over the next few months Cecil spent time at No.2 Command Depot Camp at Weymouth and No.1 Command Depot Camp at Sutton Veny. Cecil was still in England when the Armistice was declared on the 11th November 1918.

On the 21st November Cecil went to the Overseas Training Brigade at Longbridge Deverill Camp to await a berth on a troopship home. On the 8th January 1919 Cecil boarded the troopship Orsova and set sail for Western Australia, disembarking in Fremantle on the 12th February 1919.

Cecil was discharged from the AIF on the 29th March 1919.

After his return Cecil moved to Kalgoorlie and in 1919 married Florence Heys in East Coolgardie. In 1921 a son Francis was born in Boulder followed in 1922 by Edward.

The family then moved back to Fremantle and resided at the corner of Carrington and Walker Street South Fremantle. In the 1930's Cecil was working as a Lumper on Fremantle Wharves.

Cecil died in White Gum Valley Fremantle on the 20th August 1955.