He transferred to the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force as a battery commander at Rabaul, in Australian-occupied German New Guinea, in March 1915.

He was, in his own words, "too scared to think" on the first occasion, but both times managed to manoeuvre his plane so that his observer could hold off their opponents with Lewis gun fire until other R.E.8s came to their aid.

[4][5] Anderson was spotting for artillery near the Messines Ridge on 6 December when he engaged a German two-seat DFW that observer John Bell was able to shoot down; it was No.

3 Squadron in France, the citation noting his "resolute fight" and "cool and capable flying" in evading attacks by enemy aircraft and successfully carrying out reconnaissance missions.

[8] In the event, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) in the King's Birthday Honours promulgated in the London Gazette on 3 June, becoming the first Australian to receive the newly created decoration.

[1][12] The unit converted to Bristol Fighters the same month, and flew its last operation the morning of 11 November; it was subsequently employed in transporting mail for Australian forces in Europe.

The AFC's senior officer, Lieutenant Colonel Richard Williams, was still in England, and Anderson was appointed commander of the AAC, a position that also put him in charge of the Central Flying School (CFS) at Point Cook, Victoria.

[23][24] In April 1922, Anderson took part in the new service's first army co-operation exercise, piloting a DH.9 with Flight Lieutenant Adrian Cole, who spotted for artillery firing from an emplacement at Queenscliff, Victoria.

[25] A year later, Anderson proposed a dedicated workshop for research and development, which was established as the RAAF Experimental Section at Point Cook in January 1924.

[1][23] As ALO in 1928, he provided information to the Air Board concerning shortcomings of the de Havilland Hound light day bomber, then being strongly considered for the RAAF, that led to the Westland Wapiti being ordered instead.

[1][30] He spent most of the 1930s in this position, aside from an acting role as Air Member for Personnel from January 1933 to June 1934, and attendance at the Imperial Defence College, London, the following year.

[23][31] As Anderson had no formal training in the supply field, Air Force historian Alan Stephens concluded that he relied heavily on the specialist knowledge of his experienced subordinate, the RAAF Director of Transport and Equipment, George Mackinolty.

[33] Fellow officer Joe Hewitt found him "admirable" but "so immersed in the minutiae of administration that some important policy matters languished" and "although courageous he was indecisive and loath to take disciplinary action".

[1][38] According to author Norman Ashworth, the Australian government had at this stage so little faith in the leadership of its Air Force that it had briefly considered offering temporary command of the service to the Royal Australian Navy's Second Naval Member, Commodore Maitland Boucher, RN, before deciding against such a "monumental slight to the senior ranks of the RAAF" and settling on Anderson.

[44] In May 1942, he was appointed AOC of the newly established Eastern Area, which was headquartered in Sydney and controlled seven squadrons in New South Wales and southern Queensland.

[49] The efforts of the two services within the region Eastern Area covered were hampered by poor liaison and command arrangements, as well as the RAAF placing a relatively low priority on protecting merchant shipping.

[1][52] The school was instituted to further the training of officers at the squadron leader and wing commander level, whose basic education standards Anderson, among others, found sadly lacking.

[52] In December Anderson was again appointed AMP, taking over from Air Commodore Frank Lukis, before returning to command the RAAF Staff School in September 1944.

[41] He continued in the latter role until being forcibly retired, along with several other senior Air Force commanders including Williams and Goble, in April 1946, ostensibly to make way for younger and equally qualified officers.

[54][55] A confidential report in September 1944 had found Anderson "hard working, conscientious and loyal" but lacking in "constructive capacity and organising ability".