A Collection of Medals to Veterinary Surgeons and the Army Veterinary Corps

Four: Lieutenant-Colonel J. Anderson, Army Veterinary Department

New Zealand 1845-66, reverse undated (Vety. Surgn., R.A.); Afghanistan 1878-80, no clasp (Offg. Insp. Vet. Surg., A.V.D.); Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, dated reverse, 1 clasp, Tel-el-Kebir (Pl. Vet. Surgn., Ind. Contgt.); Khedive’s Star 1882, unnamed, minor contact marks, very fine and better (4) £1600-2000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals to Veterinary Surgeons and the Army Veterinary Corps.

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John Anderson graduated as a M.R.C.V.S. (London and Edinburgh) in December 1859 and was appointed a Veterinary Surgeon in the Veterinary Department on 31 January 1860. With them he served in New Zealand in the Taranaki and Waikato Campaigns and was present at the affairs at Keri Keri and Pukikoe and the actions of Rangiwhia and the Gate Pah. For his services he was mentioned in despatches and awarded the New Zealand Medal. In one of his obituaries it was stated ‘he was the first veterinary officer to be mentioned in despatches, for this act of gallantry could not be officially overlooked.’

The mention in despatches arose from an incident where Captain James Ring, Royal Irish, was trapped in a skirmish at Keri Keri while investigating a murder of a settler. The despatch (London Gazette 23 October 1863) reads: ‘... and having heard from an Artillery Officer who rode up to my position that the 65th Regiment was in my immediate vicinity, I requested that he would inform the Officer Commanding 65th Regiment that there was a track in the enemies rear, and if an attack were made in that direction it would be of great service.’ The Colonel of the 65th in his report of the same day wrote. ‘When within one and a half miles of that settlement, I was overtaken by Veterinary Surgeon Anderson, R.A., who informed me that a detachment of the 2nd Battalion, 18th Regiment, was in a very precarious position near Wairoa, and required a reinforcement, as they could not do more than hold their position. On this I retraced my steps towards Keri Keri ...’ Elsewhere, the story was expanded: ‘He (Anderson) volunteered to carry despatches through a country occupied by an extraordinary astute enemy who spared neither prisoners or wounded ...’ and ‘... at the storming of the Gate Pah, where we suffered heavy loss and were repulsed, he (Anderson) commanded two guns, there being no officer available owing to casualties.’ and ‘in the storming of one of the enemy’s stockades, every man but one was shot down at one of the guns. John Anderson and a sergeant worked the gun between them for the remainder of the day.’

He then served in the Abyssinian Campaign where he formed and had charge of the sick horse depot at Komayloo and Pioneer Wells, and was three times employed on Special Services. For his services he was mentioned in despatches and awarded the Abyssinian Medal (not with lot). Anderson was promoted to Veterinary Surgeon 1st Class in January 1873. As Officiating Inspector Veterinary Surgeon he served in Afghanistan, 1879-80, serving with the Kurram Field Force, and afterwards the Khyber Line Force. For his services he was again mentioned in despatches and awarded the Afghanistan Medal. He then served in the Egyptian War of 1882 as Principle Veterinary Surgeon with the Indian Contingent and was present at the battle of Tel-el-Kebir and at the capture of Cairo, for which he was awarded the Egypt Medal and clasp and Khedive’s Star. Lieutenant-Colonel Anderson retired from active service in October 1890 and died in Bombay on 1 May 1912, aged 73 years. He was buried with full military honours in the Sewri Cemetery.

With a quantity of copied research.