1914-15 Star : Private A F Anderson [Browe], 1 Battalion AIF

1914-15 Star. Impressed reverse with recipient's details.

Arthur Frederick Browe was born at Wagga Wagga, NSW, in 1879. he was working as a labourer at Glebe in Sydney when he enlisted in the AIF on 29 December 1914, claiming to be 40 years old and using the name Arthur Frederick Anderson. He nominated as his next of kin his friend Mrs Carroll, who may have been his landlady as they shared the same address. He further stated that he was married, but had been separated from his wife for 12 years and had no knowledge of her address.

Anderson was assigned the service number 1513 and posted as a private to the 3rd reinforcements to 2 Battalion, sailing from Sydney to Egypt aboard the transport HMAT A49 Seang Choon. After training in Egypt Anderson was transferred to D Company, 1 Battalion, on 22 April 1915 and allocated a new service number, 1423.

The battalion landed at Gallipoli on 25 April, as part of the second and third waves. Eight days later, on 2 May, Anderson was listed as missing. His death was not formally confirmed until January 1916. Anderson's body was never recovered and his name is commemorated on the Lone Pine Memorial.

Mrs Carroll received these service medals, together with his commemorative Next of Kin plaque in the early 1920s, on condition that they be handed to a close relative of Anderson's should such a person come forward to claim them at a future date.

In 1933 Anderson's wife, Emma Browe, attempted to claim a widow's pension in relation to her husband's service and death. She claimed that Anderson had originally enlisted earlier in 1914 in the 4th Battalion using his true name, Browe, but had left camp when he realised that he would have to allot a portion of pay to his estranged wife. According to Mrs Browe, he subsequently enlisted using his stepfather's surname (his mother had been widowed in 1891 and later remarried), giving a false age as well. For this reason, Mrs Browe claimed, her husband's service and death had passed unnoticed by her or any of his relatives. No evidence was ever found that Anderson had enlisted in the 4th Battalion earlier in 1914.

Army authorities contacted Mrs Carroll to see if she could verify the story. Mrs Carroll testified that she and her husband had known Arthur Frederick Anderson since 1908. He had never mentioned his wife in the seven years that she had known him. It was established that Anderson/Browe had married Emma Rogerson in 1903. The couple appear to have separated almost immediately. Mrs Browe's entitlement to a pension was approved by the repatriation Department in November 1933. Mrs Carroll was not required to surrender Anderson's death plaque or medals to Mrs Browe, and these items eventually passed to her children before being donated to the Australian War Memorial.

• British War Medal 1914-20 : Private A F Anderson [Browe], 1 Battalion AIF
• Victory Medal : Private A F Anderson [Browe], 1 Battalion AIF