Alexander Anderson

General Alexander Anderson (7 May 1807 – 21 November 1877) was a senior Royal Marines officer. He served in the Royal Marine Light Infantry and became a Companion of the Order of the Bath.

Career Anderson was commissioned into the Royal Marine Light Infantry as a second lieutenant on 24 May 1823 at Portsmouth. He served aboard from 1825 to 1827; during this time, the ship supported a British intervention in Portugal, a precursor to the Liberal Wars. On 20 October 1827, Albion formed part of the combined British, French and Russian fleet which defeated Ottoman forces at the Battle of Navarino; during which, Anderson led a boarding party and captured an enemy flag.

In 1840, Anderson participated in the Second Egyptian–Ottoman War, including the Bombardment of Beirut, the Battle of Sidon and the Battle of Acre. For this, he was awarded the Sultan's St Jean d’Acre Medal in silver and the Naval General Service Medal with clasps. and was promoted to General in 1870. His memorial is an unusual composition of cannonballs, one of which has disappeared. In 2018 the missing cannonball was replaced and the group has been added to. Three of the cannonballs are inscribed, individually bearing the words 'Beyrout', 'Gaza' and 'Syria'. The grave lies on the east side of the main path, midway between the north entrance and the colonnades.