William Anderson (RAAF officer)
| William Hopton (Bill) Anderson | |
|---|---|
Air Vice-Marshal William Anderson
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| Nickname(s) | "Andy"; "Mucker" |
| Born | 30 December 1891 Kew, Victoria |
| Died | 30 December 1975 (aged 84) East Melbourne, Victoria |
| Allegiance | Australia |
| Service/branch | Royal Australian Air Force |
| Years of service | 1910–46 |
| Rank | Air Vice-Marshal |
| Unit | No. 1 Squadron AFC (1916–18) |
| Commands held |
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| Battles/wars |
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| Awards | |
Air Vice-Marshal William Hopton (Bill) Anderson, CBE, DFC (30 December 1891 – 30 December 1975) was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). He flew with the Australian Flying Corps in World War I, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Belgian Croix de guerre, and leading Nos. 3 and 7 Squadrons. Anderson commanded the Australian Air Corps during its brief existence in 1920, before joining the fledgling RAAF the following year. The service's third most senior officer, he primarily held posts on the Australian Air Board in the inter-war years. He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1934, and promoted to air commodore in 1938.
When World War II broke out, Anderson was Air Member for Supply. In 1940 he acted as Chief of the Air Staff between the resignation of Air Vice-Marshal Stanley Goble in January and the arrival of Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Burnett, RAF, the next month. He led the newly formed Central and Eastern Area Commands between December 1940 and July 1943, briefly returning to the Air Board as Air Member for Organisation and Equipment in 1941–42. Anderson was founding Commandant of the RAAF Staff School from July to November 1943, and held this post again from October 1944 until his retirement in April 1946. Known to his colleagues as "Andy" or "Mucker", he died on his birthday in 1975.
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