A Tribute to Robert
Banks Anderson
By D.L. Hardee, 1st
Lieut., 28th Infantry, Trinity College, Class ‘13
His manly, straightforward character and unquestionable
courage won him the respect of those who were associated with him, says a fellow
officer, who was associated with Lieut. Anderson, who was one of the first
Trinity men to fall in the fight.
A statement of his character and circumstances under which
he fought from those who fought with him follows:
Joined 28th U.S. Infantry and was assigned to Co.
A while at Trevinay about Nov. 10, 1917. He had just finished a course of
instruction in the British Corps School and he graduated from them with high
honors and has taken this trip through the trenches as an observer. This gave
him the advanced ideas of trench warfare, wiring, obstruction, raids, patrols,
new weapons, etc., which made his service almost indispensable in preparing the
men of his company in the tactics of European warfare for the long, dreary winter
to come.
The bright day of the dreary winter was when as a reward for
his good work, he and several other officers of the 28th were given
leaves to Nice, where the holiday was spent in the Regina Hotel. They returned
just before the outfit went into the trenches in the Toul sector. Anderson took
command of his platoon. During that time the weather permitted of little
activity and many hours were passed playing bridge, and whist, of which he was
very fond. Anderson was a congenial officer in a congenial family of officers,
was liked by all of his associates, and had a reputation of being a good
officer with his superior officers. The outfit came out of Toul, crossed France
through Paris, and went into Picardy section, where his battalion was in
reserve for some weeks.
When they went up into the trenches at Cantigny, A Company
was in the front line a little to the right and in front of the town, where
they were subjected to a terrific shell fire in every line of trench system.
After 10 days in this sector he came out with the regiment unhurt, and
rehearsed for the attack on Cantigny. In the meantime the company commander,
the second in command and another officer had been evacuated with trench fever,
leaving Anderson in command of the company. Owing to the confidence the
battalion and regimental commanders had in him he was left in command for the
attack.
On May 28th, 1918, his company was on the extreme
right in the attack. It was their function to sally out in No Man’s Land to act
as a pivoting line, dig in and then maintain communication with the old line
and new trench system. This movement under his guidance was beautifully
executed by the company and although under heavy shell fire their losses were
not excessive, due to the excellent manner in which the troops were conducted.
After withstanding several counter attacks on the second
night following the attack, the company was relieved by a company of the 26th
infantry, and placed a short distance in rear in support. The next afternoon
the battalion commander received word that during a heavy county attack the
situation was growing critical and A company was ordered to advance to the
support of the company of the 26th Infantry. This entailed a
movement of several hundred yards in open daylight and in view of the enemy.
Their losses from machine gun fire were heavy but the counter attack was
carried out successfully and the counter attack of the enemy completely
repulsed. It was while carrying out this movement that Lieut. Anderson was
wounded, and a company runner who was likewise wounded, and who accompanied
him, returned from the hospital and said: “I never saw a braver man; he walked
through the storm of machine gun bullets as calm as a man leading a parade.”
He continued “cheerful and laughed and talked with the doctors
at the first aid station in spite of a bad wound in his groin from a machine
gun bullet. He was expected to return to the organization but the hope of his
early return was blighted by the report from the hospital of his death and the
appearance of his name in the causality lists.
I knew him intimately while in college and those who knew
him as an officer and comrade in arms had a very warm feeling of personal
friendship and a hearty admiration for his ability and conduct as an officer.
These sentiments were not only shared by the men who knew
him intimately but were the feelings also of those whom he trained and
commanded in battle.
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