Private John Arthur W Anderson - Cameron Highlanders 2923325

I cannot say for sure that he was a spy, but his background is of an educated man. His father was a missionary and a medical doctor. I would have expected him to be going for a commission, rather than enlisting as a Private.

1902 born Taishenter, China Ancestry Tree His parent were missionaries

1920 Jub 4 Arrives UK from Shanghai. A Student, he travels 2nd class. His parents returned permanently to UK in Mar 1921

1921 Apr 16. He was promoted to LCpl .

1921 July. The Regimental Museum has a reference to 2923325 Pte J Anderson, in the 2nd Bn Orderly Room notes for the July 1921 edition of the 79th News (the Regimental Magazine).

1921 Oct 26 Kidnapped at Cobh and is "believed buried at Knockraha"

Anderson's sister in Glasgow wrote to Collins who replied "We have to report that Private Anderson QOCH did not fall into our hands and we have no information on his whereabouts" and "our forces are not concerned with his disappearance" The sister who wrote to Collins was called "Evangeline"

The Year of the Disappearances has a long article on how this man may have been picked up in mistake for a Lt Anderson. Lt Anderson was blamed locally for the death of John O'Connell, a Cobh blacksmith (who ironically was also shot in a case of mistaken identity, in lieu of John O'Connell an IRA company commander). The author contends that one body was discovered under the floorboards of Corry's farm during the civil war. The body was that of a British soldier in uniform. There is a closed file on Martin Corry (MA DD series A/09690) which may shed some light on this. Corry was the executioner-in-chief of the Cork IRA during this period, and used a dungeon on his farmland between Knockraha and Watergrasshill, known locally as the Rea to house prisoners prior to execution and dumping their bodies in adjacent bogs.

His grave is given as below. But I can find no evidence of an exhumation in Ireland

British Soldiers died in Ireland