Dr Andrew Anderson

Surgeon to Gordon Highlanders During the peninsular wars

Ret'd 1833 on 1/2 pay. We have his Claymores (cut from hand as damaged in battle, while he was attending to a wounded man from whom he was trying to remove a bullet, during a charge of the Cruriassiers (sic) "the fury of which is shown by both the springs of the hilt being beaten flat"

Entered army as hospital assistant, became surgeon in 1812 and retired on 1/2 pay in Aug 1833.

Served in Naples and Calibra, and acted as assistant surgeon to the Grenadier battalion under Lt Col O'Callaghan, at the battle of Maida. Also present at the seiges of Scylla Castle and Flushing,1809, and took part in the expedition to Walcheren. Also took part in Defence of Cadiz, the battles of Busaco, Fuentes de Onoro, Salamanca, seige of Burgos and actions in the Pyrenees. Awarded in 1849 The Silver War Medal with 5 clasps.

ANDERSON. Andrew Anderson, M.D. Appointed assistant-surgeon in the 79th on the 4th of February, 1808 ; was present with the 79th at the battles of Busaco and Fuentes d'Onor ; was transferred to the 61st regiment on the 25th of June, 1812, and was present at the battles of Salamanca and Pyrenees (silver medal with clasp), and at the siege of Burgos.

["In 1809, the 79th accomplished what no other regiment did. In January of that year they were in Spain at the Battle of Corunna, and returned to England in February, when 700 men and several officers suffered from a dangerous typhus fever, yet not a man died. In July they embarked 1002 bayonets for Walcheren, were engaged during the whole siege of Flushing in the trenches, yet had not a man wounded, and, whilst there, lost only one individual in fever—Paymaster Baldock, the least expected of any one. During the three months after their return to England, only ten men died, and in December of that same year again, embarked for the peninsula, 1032 strong."—Note by Dr A. Anderson, Regimental surgeon, p. 44 of H. S. Smith’s List of the Officers of the 79th.]