Robert Anderson
Robert Anderson
Robert Sidney "Andy" Anderson (born August 23, 1917 - May 16, 1985) was a United States Navy pilot during WWII. Credited with a Purple Heart and two air-to-air kills.
Early War
Anderson joined the Navy on March 31, 1942, after graduating from the University of Arkansas. After joining, he later married Dorris Joy Williams to be his wife. Anderson attended flight training near the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Virginia. After training, he was shipped out to the Squadron VF-17 to fly the F4U-Corsair. VF-17 arrived in the Pacific and was stationed at various Solomon Island airfields.
Shot Down
On November 17, 1943, Anderson and eight other squadron members were sent out to cover US ships in Empress Augusta Bay. While on the way to the mission, the Corsair flight received reports of bogeys over Cocker Base. Once above Cocker Base Anderson was shot down.
He recalls the following, "I was in Roger Hedrick's division we'd taken off before daylight that day and were flying cover for a landing on Empress Augusta Bay for the 3rd Marine division. I think they landed on the 1st November and this was on the 17th. We'd been on station maybe 10-15 minutes and a flight of Jap Zeros and dive-bombers came down and we attacked. My wingman and I broke away and attacked some of the fighters and I was chasing one firing; as I was following this guy down, first thing I knew I saw tracers going by my own airplane. I could feel my own airplane getting hit and I broke away and looked the airplane over for damage and I couldn't see anything."
"I saw another target and took off after him, as I was firing I started to get smoke in the cockpit, so I broke off the attack and there was fire in my right wing. The cockpit was getting smoky. So I broke off the attack and Jack Chasnoff who was my wingman at that time, as a matter of fact he was all during my time with VF-17. But is was getting so bad that I decided I was going to abandon the airplane."
"So I started to bail out and as I remember the attack started out at a fairly good altitude as we had on our oxygen masks on. I started to climb out of the airplane and I couldn't shake myself loose from my oxygen mask and my headphone extension cord. So I had to get back in the airplane and disconnect them, but my wingman (Jack Chasnoff) tells me that I rolled the plane over and dropped out. My parachute opened about the time that I hit the water. I must have been quite low. Chasnoff estimated my altitude was under 800 ft."
"How I got that low I have no idea. I hit the water and got my raft out and climbed into it and waved to the guys, told them I was in good shape, assumed they world come back and look for me, and of course they did."[1]
Anderson was rescued on November 18, 1943 by PT boat 107 squad 5. The commander of the boat was L.t.(j.g, H.C.Christ)
Late War to Retirement
After being rescued Anderson was moved to multiple military hospitals along the eastern United States. For treatment of a broken back that occurred during his bailing out. He was released from active duty and Honorably discharged on September 8, 1945.
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- ↑ Cook, Lee (December 9, 2025). The Skull & Crossbones Squadron : VF-17 in World War II. SchifferMilitaryHistory (published February 28, 1998). pp. 53–55. ISBN 9780764304750. Check date values in:
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