Sergeant Chester Austin Anderson
Survivor of WW2
Date of Death:
Service Biography
Chester Austin Anderson was born at Hemmingford, Quebec, on 20 November 1902. Before the Second World War he worked as a mechanic and garage foreman and had previously served with the 6th Duke of Connaught’s Royal Canadian Hussars from 1917 to 1919. He was married to Carrie Anderson of Ormstown, Quebec. He enlisted at Montreal on 16 January 1940 as D-8202 and served with the Royal Canadian Artillery. Anderson served overseas in the United Kingdom, returned to Canada in 1943, and went overseas again in April 1944. He was confirmed Sergeant in July 1944, landed in France on 26 August 1944 and joined the 13th Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery, in September. His wartime service included the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Holland and Germany. He returned to Canada in October 1945 and was discharged on demobilization at Montreal South on 8 November 1945. Anderson died at Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, on 3 June 1964.
General Information
Conflict:
WW2
Regimental No.:
D-8202
Cause of Death (in war):
Survived
Branch:
Canadian Army
Regiment:
Royal Canadian Artillery
Battalion:
13th Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery
Company:
Date of Birth :
Place of Birth:
Hemmingford, Quebec
Date of Enlistment:
Age at Enlistment:
37 years 1 month
Date of Discharge:
Age at Discharge:
42 years 11 months
Date of Death:
Age at Death:
61 years 6 months
Country Born:
Canada
Trade or Calling:
Motor mechanic
Next of Kin:
Carrie Anderson (wife), Ormstown, Quebec
Address at Enlistment:
Ormstown, Quebec
Religion:
United Church of Canada
Place of Enlistment:
Montreal, Quebec
Was a Prisoner of War:
No
Height:
5 ft 11.5 in / 182 cm
Weight:
190 lbs / 86 kg
Chest:
40.8 in / 104 cm
Expansion:
4.5 in / 11 cm
Marital Status:
Married
Prior Military Experience:
Yes
Saw Service in:
Europe
Place of Discharge:
Montreal South, Quebec
Discharge Type:
Regular/End of Service
Discharge Notes:
Battle Died/Wounded:
Length of Service:
2123 days in service
Buried at:
Links
Ranks
| Conflict |
Rank |
Regiment |
Branch |
Unit |
Company |
Date From |
Date To |
| WW2 |
Sergeant |
Royal Canadian Artillery |
Canadian Army |
13th Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery |
|
|
|
| WW2 |
Acting Sergeant |
Royal Canadian Artillery |
Canadian Army |
1 C.A.R.U. / Royal Canadian Artillery |
|
|
|
| WW2 |
Acting Bombardier |
Royal Canadian Artillery |
Canadian Army |
Royal Canadian Artillery |
|
|
|
| WW2 |
Gunner |
Royal Canadian Artillery |
Canadian Army |
Royal Canadian Artillery training / field-force units |
|
|
|
Awards
| Conflict |
Award |
Action |
Date of Award |
Date of Citation |
Source |
| WW2 |
1939-45 Star |
Awarded / eligible |
|
|
|
| WW2 |
France and Germany Star |
Awarded / eligible |
|
|
|
| WW2 |
Defence Medal |
Awarded / eligible |
|
|
|
| WW2 |
Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and Clasp |
Awarded / eligible |
|
|
|
| WW2 |
War Medal 1939-45 |
Awarded / eligible |
|
|
|
| WW2 |
War Service Badge, General Service Class |
Issued — no. 479324 |
|
|
|
Service Chronology
1902-11-20 — Born
1917–1919 — Served with the 6th Duke of Connaught’s Royal Canadian Hussars
1940-01-16 — Enlisted in the Canadian Active Service Force as Gunner D-8202
1940-01-16 — Taken on strength / sent for artillery training
1940-01-17 — Taken on strength of Royal Canadian Artillery Training Centre
1940-02 — Transferred within Royal Canadian Artillery training system
1940-07-23 — Struck off strength for overseas service
1940-08-01 — Embarked/disembarked for overseas service; later verification records overseas disembarkation 1 Aug 1940
1940-09-27 — Appointed Acting Bombardier
1940-10 — Attended motor-transport/mechanical course
1941-02-03 — Promoted/appointed Bombardier with pay
1941-03-09 — Granted trades pay, Group C
1941-05-05 to 1941-05-11 — Private leave
1941-05-16 — Commenced drawing trades pay, Group B
1941-07-22 — Stopped pay for period of detention/disciplinary entry
1941-08-04 to 1941-08-13 — Private leave
1941-11-03 to 1941-11-10 — Private leave
1942-01-05 — Posted to 1 CARU and appointed Acting Sergeant with pay
1942-05-15 — Ceased drawing trade pay, Group C
1942-07-09 — Attached for technical training / course
1942-10-15 to 1942-10-22 — Private leave
1942-12-03 — Returned from Driver Mechanic course
1942-12 — Qualified/attached in motor-mechanic and fitter motor-vehicle work
1943-02-23 — Injured in a jeep accident while on military duty; suffered abrasions across the bridge of the nose and left side of the face
1943-04-28 to 1943-05-07 — Privilege leave and ration allowance
1943-06-11 — Taken on strength from 1 CARU at Canadian Army training/depot organization
1943-06-23 — Struck off strength Canadian Army Overseas for return to Canada
1943-07-06 — Re-embarked / taken on strength in Canada for records purposes
1943-07-06 to 1943-07-19 — Disembarkation leave
1943-07-21 — Transferred to Canadian Army Training Centre A-2
1944-04-04 — Struck off strength Canadian Army in Canada for return overseas
1944-04-05 — Taken on strength Canadian Army Overseas
1944-04-12 — Disembarked and taken on strength of 1 C.G.R.U.
1944-04-14 — Struck off strength 1 C.G.R.U. for 1 C.A.R.U.
1944-04-15 — Taken on strength of 1 C.A.R.U.
1944-06-17 — Returned to 1 C.A.R.U. from temporary/course list
1944-06-19 — Qualified Fitter M/V “A” and provisionally Fitter AFV “B”
1944-07-19 — Confirmed Sergeant
1944-07-20 to 1944-07-22 — Transferred between 1 C.A.R.U. and 1 C.O.M.E.R.U. in fitter AFV employment
1944-08-23 — Embarked from the United Kingdom for France
1944-08-26 — Disembarked in France and taken on strength through reinforcement-list organization
1944-09-16 — Struck off reinforcement list for 13th Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery
1944-09-17 — Taken on strength of 13th Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery
1944-12-12 — Reclassified Vehicle Mechanic (M/V) “B” while serving with 13th Field Regiment
1944–1945 — Served in France, Belgium, Holland and Germany
1945-07-25 — Admitted to No. 4 Canadian General Hospital with dyspepsia
1945-08-03 — Transferred from No. 4 Canadian General Hospital for continued convalescence after acute gastritis
1945-08-14 — Discharged from convalescent hospital to unit; leave granted to 30 August
1945-09-10 — Taken on strength of 422 C.D. during late-war repatriation/reinforcement processing
1945-09-28 — Taken on strength from 1 G.R.U. in late-war reinforcement/repatriation processing
1945-10-15 — Struck off strength of the Canadian Army Overseas
1945-10-16 — Taken on strength in Canada from overseas
1945-10-23 to 1945-11-26 — Granted leave and ration allowance
1945-11-08 — Discharged on demobilization as Sergeant
1964-06-03 — Died at Ste. Anne’s Hospital
Notes
At enlistment he was a mechanic. His 15 January 1940 medical examination recorded height 5 ft 11½ in, weight 190 lb, chest 40¾ in with 4½ in expansion, fair complexion, blue eyes and brown hair; he was fit Category B. Later occupational records show substantial mechanical and farming experience. A 1945 rehabilitation interview recorded English as his language and stated that he intended to return to farming and help care for his mother.
[Previous notes - manual reconciliation required]
Next of Kin: Mrs. C. A. Anderson, Ormstown. Que.
Enlisted at: Montreal Jan. 17, 1940 Born at: Hemmingford, Que.
Joined the R.C. Artillery as A mechanic. Received training at Kingstan and Petawawa. Overseas seas with the 2nd contingent of Canadian Army in July, 1940. In October 1940, attended Military Transport School of Science in Wales and upon graduation became Instructor in Motor Transport Vehicles.
BIRTH NOVEMBER 20,1890 • Corbin, Quebec DEATH APRIL 17,1964 • Ste. Anne de Bellevue, Quebec, Canada (
Additional Service Notes
Enlisted in the Canadian Active Service Force at Montreal on 16 January 1940, service number D-8202, and served with the Royal Canadian Artillery. He had prior militia service with the 6th Duke of Connaught’s Royal Canadian Hussars from 1917 to 1919. Early service included artillery training at Kingston and Petawawa and overseas service in the United Kingdom from 1940. He held an Acting Bombardier appointment, became Acting Sergeant with pay on 5 January 1942, and was confirmed Sergeant effective 19 July 1944. He qualified in motor-mechanic and fitter trades. On 23 February 1943, while serving with No. 1 C.A.R.U. in England, he was injured in a jeep accident on the road between Petworth and Billingshurst; the file records abrasions across the bridge of the nose and left side of the face. He returned to Canada in June 1943 and served at Canadian Army Training Centre A-2, Petawawa. He returned overseas in April 1944, passing through 1 C.G.R.U. and 1 C.A.R.U. in the United Kingdom. He embarked from the United Kingdom on 23 August 1944, disembarked in France on 26 August, and joined the 13th Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery, on 17 September 1944. His file records service in the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Holland and Germany. He was admitted to No. 4 Canadian General Hospital on 25 July 1945 with dyspepsia/acute gastritis, transferred for convalescence on 3 August, and discharged to his unit on 14 August with leave to 30 August. Late-service records place him in repatriation/reinforcement processing during September 1945; he was struck off strength of the Canadian Army Overseas effective 15 October and taken on strength in Canada on 16 October 1945. He was discharged on demobilization at Montreal South on 8 November 1945.
Additional Next of Kin Notes
Wife: Carrie Anderson, shown at Ormstown, Quebec. The 1940 family form states there were no children. Postwar rehabilitation material records that Anderson intended to return to farming and help care for his mother.
Version: 3 Last modified: 2026-09-19 18:52:11
by: marc
