Background
Anderson was born at Tezpur, Assam, India on 11 February 1892, the younger son of James Drummond Anderson, a lecturer in Bengali at the University of Cambridge.
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William Anderson
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Education
He was educated as a scholar at Street Paul"s School and graduated Bachelor from Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge in 1914 and Master of Arts in 1920.
Career
He also held what is believed to be the unique distinction of being the only bishop to have served in all three of the armed services. He was appointed an honorary fellow in 1950. He served throughout the First World War, initially in the 1st King Edward’s Horse, then the Royal Naval Air Service, and finally in the newly formed Royal Air Force, ending the war with the rank of captain (later flight lieutenant from 1918 to 1919).
On demobilisation, he took Holy Orders at Ridley Hall, Cambridge and was ordained deacon in 1920 and priest 1921.
He rejoined the Royal Navy as a chaplain and served in a succession of Royal Naval establishments.His last posting was as chaplain to the Britannia Royal Naval College. In 1928, he was appointed vicar of Sparkhill, Birmingham, taking on the additional responsibility of rural dean of Bordesley.
In 1932, he moved to Eastbourne. By 1937, he was Bishop of Croydon and in late 1941 he was appointed Bishop of Portsmouth to succeed the recently deceased Frank Partridge.
In 1949, he transferred to the more senior see of Salisbury, a position he was to hold until his retirement in 1962.
