Award of 1st Bar to the Military Cross to Honorary Captain John MacMorran Anderson Canadian Chaplain Services (page two of two)

On 6 March 1945, Honorary Captain Anderson, Canadian Chaplain Services was padre attached to the Highland Light Infantry of Canada. The Highland Light Infantry of Canada launched an attack from Balberger Wald over a mile of open ground, along a forward slope. "C" Company and "D" Company were pinned down by heavy enemy machine gun and small arms fire, and suffered over thirty casualties, who had to be evacuated across the open ground under enemy fire. Tanks were sent across the start line to go to the assistance of "C" and "D" companies, but were knocked out by enemy tanks and self-propelled guns on the forward slope before reaching them. Honorary Captain Anderson, hearing of the casualties, proceeded forward on foot across the bullet swept ground to "C" and "D" companies. Finding many casualties who required immediate attention, he returned to the battalion headquarters area near the start line, and organized two available jeeps and a party of volunteer stretcher bearers to return to the scene of the battle. Though warned that tanks had been knocked out a few minutes before on the route he must follow, Honorary Captain Anderson led the jeep party back and forth across the open ground until all casualties were evacuated. During the day, a carrier and a tank had been knocked out by mines on the route to the regimental aid post. The enemy position had a self-propelled gun and machine guns to cover the defile thus caused, and successfully prevented the use of the route by vehicles and marching personnel during the battle. Honorary Captain Anderson, knowing this, ignored the enemy fire and led his jeeps along the route. Although the enemy fired on the jeeps and destroyed one of them, he continued to drive back and forth along the route throughout the battle. By his complete disregard for his own safety and by his outstanding courage and initiative under heavy enemy fire, Honorary Captain Anderson successfully evacuated over thirty stretcher cases, and thus saved the lives of many soldiers.