Anderson VC, MC


Lieutenant Colonel (LtCol) Charles Groves Wright Anderson VC MC, 2/19th Infantry Battalion. LtCol Anderson was awarded the Victoria Cross for action in Malaya during 18 and 22 January 1942.	2 Australian Imperial Force, 2/19th Battalion; NX12595 Lieutenant Colonel Charles Groves Wright Anderson, VC, MC, Commanding 2/19 Btn.; defence of and, Muar River, served in First World War also in German East Africa.
During the period 18/22 January 1942, near the Muar River, Malaya, Lieutenant Colonel Anderson was in command of a small force which destroyed 10 enemy tanks and, when later they were cut off, he led his force through enemy lines to a depth of 15 miles, being attacked by air and ground forces all the way. He was again surrounded and suffered heavy casualties, and although he attempted to fight his way back through eight miles of enemy-occupied territory this proved impossible, and he had to destroy his equipment and work his way around the enemy. Throughout the fighting he protected his wounded and refused to leave them.

Lieutenant Colonel Charles Groves Wright Anderson VC MC was born in South Africa and moved to Australia in 1934 when he purchased a grazing property near Crowther, New South Wales.

Charles Anderson served in the Citizen Military Forces and then on 1 July 1940 he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force. He was appointed second-in-command of the 2/19th Battalion when it was formed in late July 1940. He embarked with the unit for Malaya in February 1941 and was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in command of the 2/19th on 1 August 1941.

He was awarded his Victoria Cross for his actions between 18-22 January when the 2/29th and 2/19th Battalions were involved in a series of operations against the Japanese Imperial Guards Division in the Muar River area.

The two battalions of the 8th Division had been sent into the Muar area as reinforcements after the inexperienced and poorly trained Indian 45th Brigade had been engaged by the elite Imperial Japanese Guards Division.

The 2/29th went to Bakri to reinforce the Indian brigade while the 2/19th arrived at Parit Sulong about 25 kilometres further back down the road. The 2/19th was then brought forward to assist the 2/29th and to regain contact with the Indian Brigade who had been cut off. They managed to reach the rear of the Indian and Australian positions but were cut off when the enemy moved in behind them and formed a new road block.

On the morning of 19 January, the headquarters of the Indian 45th Brigade was bombed. Brigadier H C Duncan, the brigade commander and one of only two survivors from the headquarters staff was incapacitated, and Anderson took command of the brigade. He delayed their withdrawal until the recovery of the decimated Indian unit and by the next morning, 20 January, both the 2/29 and 2/19th were involved in heavy fighting and had to break through an enemy cordon. Anderson led the successful attack to extricate his units.

The battalions continued their fighting withdrawal to Parit Surong, which by now was in enemy hands. Effectively cut off, Anderson attempted to re-open the column's escape route but with only limited success. By nightfall next day many of his men were wounded and his ammunition was low. Surrounded by enemy artillery fire and subjected to heavy aerial bombardment, Anderson ordered the men to destroy all vehicles and guns and to escape in small parties to the British lines at Yong Peng. It was impossible to carry all the wounded with them.

The Japanese massacred almost all of the 150 wounded Australians and Indians that were left behind at Parit Sulong.

Anderson became a Prisoner of War with approximately 15,000 other Australian servicemen when Singapore fell on 15 February 1942. After the war he returned to his property and for several years between 1949 and 1961 he was the Country Party member for Hume in the NSW House of Representatives. Charles Anderson retired to Canberra where he died on Rembrance Day, 11 November 1988. He was buried with full military honours in Canberra six days later.