Lieutenant Colonel Charles Groves Wright Anderson

Lieutenant Colonel Charles Groves Wright Anderson

2/19th Battalion

12 February 1897 at Cape Town, South Africa

18-22 January 1942

Muar River, Malaya (now Malaysia)

During the Japanese invasion of Malaya Anderson took command of a brigade which had one Indian battalion isolated and two other Indian battalions in disorder at Bakri. They had suffered heavy casualties. He waited until the afternoon before withdrawing the 2/29th into the Bakri perimeter, by which time 200 men of the isolated battalion had reached Australian lines. During this period, both the 2/19th and 2/29th were heavily engaged with the Japanese units which moved behind Bakri and held the road to Yong Peng.

On the morning of 20 January a fighting withdrawal to Parit Sulong, a vital bridge on the road to Yong Peng, began. The leading company broke through a Japanese force, but the main force were still hemmed in and vulnerable to air attack. Another company went into the attack singing ‘Waltzing Matilda’ with Anderson himself leading the final attack. He personally put two machine-gun posts out of action with grenades and shot two Japanese with his pistol.

Further on they encountered another roadblock and the Japanese, following close behind the Australian Indian column, pressed the rearguard until a counter attack was launched in which Brigadier Duncan was killed. Meanwhile, Anderson, with the advance guard, organised a three-company attack which put the enemy to flight. That night Anderson learnt that the Japanese were in Parit Sulong and his force was isolated. On 21 January Anderson’s force encountered the Japanese strongly established around Parit Sulong. They attacked, but had gained only a few hundred metres by nightfall. Anderson’s force now had many wounded and its artillery and mortar ammunition was almost exhausted. A battalion of the Loyals was ordered to launch a relieving attack but this was delayed and eventually abandoned on 22 January. Early that morning Japanese tanks broke into the perimeter of Anderson’s force from its rear, but were stopped by gunfire. The isolated force was bombed from the air and shelled by artillery, as it had been throughout its withdrawal. At 9 am Anderson ordered that his vehicles and guns be destroyed and the men withdraw eastward in small parties. On 15th February 1942 Anderson was taken into captivity, and remained there until 1945.

11 November 1988

Memorial stone and plaque at Norwood Crematorium, Australian Capital Territory

Australian War Memorial