Fonds MS-218 - Peter Anderson fonds

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Title and statement of responsibility area

Title proper

Peter Anderson fonds

General material designation

  • Textual record
  • Graphic material - photograph
  • Object

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Title notes

  • Source of title proper: Title based on contents of fonds.

Level of description

Fonds

Reference code

CA EDM MS-218

Edition area

Edition statement

Edition statement of responsibility

Class of material specific details area

Statement of scale (cartographic)

Statement of projection (cartographic)

Statement of coordinates (cartographic)

Statement of scale (architectural)

Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)

Dates of creation area

Date(s)

  • 1899-1941, predominantly 1914-1916. (Creation)
    Creator
    Anderson, Peter

Physical description area

Physical description

2 cm of textual records. - 5 photographs. - 1 object

Publisher's series area

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Archival description area

Name of creator

(1868-1945)

Biographical history

Peter Klaus Anderson was born in Havendrup, Svendborg on the island of Funen, Denmark, 24 Apr 1868 to Niels Jorgen Anderson and Anna Clause. He immigrated to Canada in 1888, first working in Winnipeg, then later hunting and trapping in northern Manitoba. He arrived in Edmonton about 1891 and by 1901 had established his own brickyard, called the Anderson Brickyard in Strathcona.
Me married Mary Anne Allen on 2 Jan 1895 and they had four children, Jennie, Albert (Bert), Ethel and Francine.
He enlisted, wrote the military officer’s examination and joined the 101st Edmonton Fusiliers in 1907, which went on active service as the 9th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force. In 1914 he was part of the first contingent of Canadian soldiers in World War I to go overseas serving as a major in the 3rd Canadian Brigade. In England his regiment was dismantled and Anderson was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, Queens Own Regiment. He was taken prisoner on 24 Apr 1915, during the second battle of Ypres in Belgium and spent three months in a German prisoner-of-war (POW) camp. He escaped from the German prisoner-of-war camp at Bischofswerda, near the Bohemian border with Austria-Hungary. He travelled on foot and by rail to Flensburg, in Schleswig, then walked across the border to Denmark. He made his way back to England where he was then received by the King of England and decorated. He was the first Canadian to successfully escape from a German POW camp.
He subsequently served with the Canadian Training Division, Shorncliffe, England as Officer Commanding, Sniping and Scout Classes, with military intelligence and in the Allied intervention in northern Russia during the revolution. He was a Lieutenant Colonel at his discharge. He returned to live in Edmonton, Alberta.
Mary Anne Allen Anderson died 24 Jun 1931 and Peter retired to Vancouver, B.C. Peter Anderson died 6 Aug 1945.

Custodial history

Ethel (Anderson) Moore was Peter Anderson’s daughter. The manuscript account of Peter Anderson’s escape was given by Peter Anderson to Dr. H.L. McInnis, Edmonton AB. The manuscript came into the possession of Richard York Secord who was a member of the Landmarks and Archives Committee collecting for the City of Edmonton Archives.

Scope and content

This fonds consists of a menu card, a manuscript account of Peter Anderson’s escape from a prisoner-of-war camp in Germany during World War I; a letter written from the Bischofswerda camp to his son, Bert; humorous regimental orders and a uniform button for the 101st Edmonton Fusiliers (9th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force).
The photographs include Peter Anderson and family, Peter Anderson in military uniform and Sandison’s Brickyard.

Notes area

Physical condition

Immediate source of acquisition

This fonds was donated to the City of Edmonton Archives by Ethel (Anderson) Moore from 1961 to 1975, and Richard York Secord in 1963.

Arrangement

The photographs were assigned item numbers with the prefix EA-149.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

    Location of originals

    Availability of other formats

    Restrictions on access

    There are no restrictions on access.

    Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication

    Copyright may apply.
    Reproduction restrictions may apply.

    Finding aids

    Finding aid available online.

    Associated materials

    See also:
    Peter Anderson fonds (PR0421) at the Provincial Archives of Alberta.

    Related materials

    Accruals

    No further accruals are expected.

    General note

    Accession numbers: A61-81, A63-110, A72-16, A75-30

    General note

    This MS was formerly Mrs. Gault (Mary) MacAllister fonds - those records have been repatriated to MS-101 Gault & Mary MacAllister fonds.
    The Anderson records were formerly known as MS-56.9

    Alternative identifier(s)

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    Standard number

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    Control area

    Description record identifier

    Institution identifier

    City of Edmonton Archives

    Rules or conventions

    Rules for Archival Description (RAD)
    Archives Society of Alberta Subject Terms

    Status

    Final

    Level of detail

    Dates of creation, revision and deletion

    Language of description

      Script of description

        Sources

        Digital object (Master) rights area

        Digital object (Reference) rights area

        Digital object (Thumbnail) rights area

        Accession area