Last year for Remembrance Day, Noosa Today published an article to ask the community to assist with finding descendants of Anzac John Andersen who is interred in an unmarked grave at the Pomona Cemetery.
“Our country defender who embarked from Australia on February 1915, served with the 2nd Light Horse Regiment at Gallipoli, before proceeding to France in September 1916, to be taken on strength with the 31st Battalion AIF.
Private Andersen was wounded in action in the fields of France on three separate occasions, receiving gunshot wounds to the right foot, knee and left thigh.
In his later years, John relocated to Pomona and was residing with his brother Arthur at Mountain Road under the shade of Mount Cooroora, ‘King of the Mountain’ until his passing on 1 August 1969.” (Extract from article)
Last week, we were notified by volunteer researcher Tanya Easterby that the article was found on Google by a member researching their family tree of John’s mother’s side, Emma Agnes Masters who married Ole Hansen Andersen.
The family was initially shocked to discover their lineage included another WW1 serving member, grateful that John had returned to Australia and was living with his brother Arthur in Pomona before his passing.
John’s brother Herbert James Andersen, 28 years old, was taken on strength to 42nd Battalion and sent into the field of France on 7 February 1917 and four days later was killed in action on 11 February 1917. Herbert is placed at Cite Bonjean Cemetery, Armentieres in France.
John’s descendants, are now completing all the necessary paper work to formalise the offer of the Office of Australian War Graves who will commemorate John with a war grave at his unmarked grave at the Pomona Cemetery in recognition of his war service.
Acknowledgement also includes the 31st Battalion AIF Memorial Association that placed a copy of the newspaper article on their Facebook page and for the assistance of further descendant research by Katrina and Cate from the Australian Remembrance Army in Brisbane.
