MY FAMILY HERO
Bill Anderson’s great great uncle was a fearless soldier who struggled with drink
Andrew stood his ground, killing 14 Russians in hand-to-hand combat
During his early teens, Bill Anderson was given a bronze medallion by his father. One side bore the face of Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert, while the other displayed an illustration of Joseph Paxton’s famous Crystal Palace in Hyde Park. And inscribed along the outer edge was the name “Andrew Anderson” and “RS&M”.
“Andrew was my father’s great uncle,” Bill tells Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine. “Apparently he received the medallion after exhibiting at the Great Exhibition in 1851, but no one knew exactly what he had done or what the initials stood for.”
The medallion remained in Bill’s possession for several decades, but it wasn’t until he began tracing his family history in the early 1980s that he decided to start researching Andrew’s life – and uncovered a remarkable story.
“Andrew was born in 1820 near Coatbridge, just outside Glasgow,” explains Bill. “He initially followed his father and brothers by going to work in the coal mines, but when he was 18 he joined the Royal Engineers – then the Corps of Royal Sappers and Miners.”
After training in Chatham and Portsmouth, Andrew was posted to South Africa with the 10th Company in 1841. He thrived in many aspects, but the combination of the rigours of military life and a culture of heavy drinking proved disastrous.
“Andrew got a daily beer ration in the barracks and frequently got quite drunk – possibly as a reaction to the lengthy and arduous patrols,” says Bill. “He had previously been disciplined for drunkenness, but in 1848 he went too far and got 70 days’ hard labour.”
After a decade of excess, Andrew travelled to London to assist in preparations for the Great Exhibition. Contrary to the stories Bill heard as a child, Andrew was never an exhibitor, but helped to set out stalls, police the crowds and even build the iconic Palace.
In recognition of his efforts, Andrew received £5, a silver watch, and the medallion Bill still has today – the initials “RS&M” standing for “Royal Sappers and Miners”.
But the most extraordinary chapter of Andrew’s life was still to come. In 1854 the 10th Company sailed to Istanbul following the outbreak of the Crimean War. Initially stationed in Varna, where the British forces were setting up a military base, Andrew was chosen for a dangerous mission further north.
“Two officers of the Royal Engineers – Major Bent and Lieutenant Burke – were sent to Silistra to break through the besieging Russians and direct the Turks on improving their defences,” explains Bill. “They required two sappers and an interpreter to go with them, so Andrew was selected by Major Bent, who knew him from previous service. Despite his propensity for drink, Bent knew that Andrew could be trusted.”
By the time the men arrived in Silistra, the siege had ended. However, the Ottoman general, Omar Pasha, requested that they stay to support an amphibious invasion of Giurgevo – a Russian-occupied island in the middle of the Danube.
Although the crossing proved successful, the Turkish forces were vastly outnumbered and suffered heavy fire. Lieutenant Burke was fatally wounded but Andrew stood his ground, killing 14 Russians in hand-to-hand combat. The following day he bravely returned to the scene to retrieve Burke’s body.
“Omar Pasha was so impressed by Andrew’s actions that he brought him to his quarters and personally pinned on him the Turkish Order of Medjidie,” says Bill. “The news even reached Queen Victoria, who took the unique step of having Andrew’s name entered in the College of Heralds, with an appropriate announcement made in the London Gazette.”
However, Andrew soon slipped back into bad habits – with tragic consequences. On 30 January 1855 he collapsed after a heavy drinking session and died of an apoplectic stroke, aged 34.
In his diary Major Bent described Andrew’s death as “a miserable end to his honours and a distress to his friends, who were proud of the name he had earned as a soldier”.
Bill is no less proud of having him in his family tree.
“Andrew was a hero for all the good things he did and all the brave acts he undertook, and I like to think that other members of our family have got those same traits of drive and determination.
“The official history of the Corps, written shortly after the end of the Crimean War, mentions many sappers. However, only Andrew Anderson received an obituary in recognition of his gallantry and bravery.” Jon Bauckham