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Henry Bruce Anderson

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Portrait of Able Seaman Henry Bruce Anderson, Auckland Weekly News, 4 February 1942. Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, AWNS-19420204-25-11. Image has no known copyright restrictions.

Portrait of Able Seaman Henry Bruce Anderson, Auckland Weekly News, 4 February 1942. Sir George Grey …

Identity

  • Title
  • Forenames
    Henry Bruce AWMM
  • Surname
    Anderson AWMM
  • Ingoa
  • Also known as
    Bruce Henry AWMM
  • Service number
    A/1873 AWMM
  • Gender
    Male AWMM
  • Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
  • Religion

Civilian life

About birth

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  • Birth
    16 April 1921 AWMM
  • Date of birth
  • Place of birth
  • Birth notes
  • Address before enlistment
  • Post war occupation
  • Next of kin on embarkation
    Mr John Ernest Anderson (father), St Heliers Bay, Auckland, New Zealand AWMM
  • Relationship status
    Single AWMM

Service

Wars and conflicts

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Military decorations

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Training and Enlistment

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  • Military training
  • Branch Trade Proficiency
  • Enlistment
  • Occupation before enlistment
  • Age on enlistment

Embarkations

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  • Embarkation details

Prisoner of war

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  • Capture details
  • Days interned
  • Liberation date
  • Liberation Repatriation
  • POW liberation details
  • POW serial number

Medical history

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  • Medical notes
    Killed in Action, Cause of Death AWMM

Biographical information

Biographical information

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  • Henry Anderson (known as Bruce) was the son of Mr John Ernest and Mrs Charlotte May Anderson of St Heliers Bay.

    Attended St Helier's Primary School and Seddon Technical College.

    Anderson was one of 132 New Zealand ratings who went missing as a result of the loss of H.M.S. Neptune.

    Twin brothers William John Anderson (A1872) and Henry Bruce Anderson (A/1873) enlisted at the same time and both were lost on the Neptune.

    Listed as Bruce Henry by CWGC. Known as Bruce. HMS Neptune was launched at Portsmouth on 31 January 1933. She was one of five 'Leander' class light cruisers completed between 1933 and 1935. Two others were HMS Achilles and Leander serving in the RNZN. They displaced 7,200 tons, could make 32 knots and carried eight 6 inch guns and 550 crew. The Neptune was in the Mediterranean from 1 December 1941 as part of Force K which was searching for Axis shipping, especially those taking supplies to Rommel in North Africa. Early on the 19th the ships of Force K ran into a minefield.The Neptune hit three or four mines and sank with only one survivor. At the same time the Aurora was badly damaged and Penelope slightly.Trying to reach Neptune to assist, the destroyer Kandahar was mined and had to be scuttled the following day. On the same day in Alexandria harbour the Queen Elizabeth with Admiral Cunningham on board and the Valiant were both badly damaged and sank.The Mediterranean Fleet battle squadron ceased to exist. Of the total crew of 766 there was only one survivor.He was rescued off a raft five days later by an Italian destroyer and spent the rest of the war in a prisoner of war camp. AWMM
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Death

About death

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  • Death
    19 December 1941 AWMM
    Age 20 AWMM
    Mediterranean AWMM
  • Date of death
  • Age at death
  • Place of death
  • Cause of death
  • Death notes
  • Cemetery
  • Cemetery name
  • Grave reference
  • Obituary
  • Memorial name
  • Memorial reference

Memorials

Memorial

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  • Memorial name
    • New Zealand Naval Memorial, Devonport Naval Base, HMNZS Philomel, Devonport, Auckland, New Zealand AWMM
    • Auckland War Memorial Museum, World War 2 Hall of Memories AWMM

Roll of Honour

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Related Serviceperson

Sources

Sources

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