 He was educated at the Royal Military College, Duntroon, and commissioned as a lieutenant on 3 November 1914 in B Squadron, 6th Light Horse Regiment.Following the outbreak of the First World War, Anderson and his squadron sailed from Sydney on board HMAT (A29) "Suevic" on 21 December 1914, and arrived in Egypt on 1 February 1915.After serving as infantry in the Gallipoli Campaign between May and December 1915, the light horsemen were stationed in Egypt as part of the ANZAC Mounted Division.