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Wing Commander Donald George ANDREWS 404795 DFC

andrews404795-2.jpg

Squadrons: 615 Sqn RAF, 245 Sqn RAF, 175 Sqn RAF, 453 Sqn

Date of Birth: 5th September 1921
Birthplace: Southport Qld
Occupation: Bank Clerk
Enlistment Date:
Place of Enlistment: Southport Qld

History:
 
13 Jan 43 - Wing strength Sweep flown over Dunkirk, heavy flak encountered holing F/L Don Andrews aircraft. 08 Apr 43 - Twelve Spitfires engage eight FW190s over the Foret de Crecy, France. S/L J Ratten, F/L D Andrews and P/O Rickards and Swift all damage their opponents, two hevily, but none are seen to crash (0.0.1) 17 Jun 43 - Near Antwerp, twenty FW-190s were seen about 10,000 feet below, and Wing Leader Ratten took 453 Sqn down to engage. The enemy aircraft broke and in the ensuing melee Andrews, leading Blue section, severely damaged a FW-190, which disappeared in a vertical dive. As it was not observed crashing, Andrews was credited with a probably destroyed. (0.1.1) 17 July 43 - During a rest from operations two sections of 'B' Flight flew sorties to exercise some British armoured units on Salisbury Plain. After making dummy attacks down the road lined with tanks and fighting vehicles, it was necessary to pull up at the end to clear hills. Unfortunately, there was a line of telephone wires stretching between two hills, and the leader Don Andrews flew under the wires, clipping off the top of his rudder. W/O Ross Currie was flying as No2 and also sustained wire and debris damage. Andrews staggered up to gain some height, turned on his back and fell out of the cockpit, making a safe parachute descent. The Spit hit the ground and burst into flames, and within fifteen seconds all that remained was a few wisps of black oily smoke and some spasmodic bursts of exploding ammunition. The damage to Ross Currie's aircraft had resulted in the loss of the pitot head, freezing the airspeed indicator, making it useless. To avoid stalling, it was necessary to formate on another aircraft, which enabled him to land safely. 15 Aug 43 - Escorted Marauders to bomb Woensdrecht airfield. Unsuitable weather forced the large formation back over Belgium, at which moment they were bounced from above by more than a dozen FW-190s. Barclay called for all pilots to stick to the bombers and withdraw, but Blue section, being behind in the turn, bore the brunt. Blue 1, Don Andrews, was seen going down in a screaming dive immediately after being bounced, but as the enemy had concentrated on him, he was encircled and only able to gradually creep toward the coast. FWs attacked him ahead, beam and astern down to ground level, and by the time he had fought his way ten miles off the coast, only two attackers remained. He was finally able to get a shot at one of his pursuers, which crashed into the sea, and the last aircraft flew off to the east while Andrews limped into Manston. In his own words: "The combat occured just out to sea off Flushing when I found myself all alone with twelve FW-190s on my hands. I fought them from 16,000 feet down to sea level, but I coundn't shake them off and get home. Suddenly, for some reason, the Hun detached four of these 190s, and yet another four after they had been beating the daylight out of me for a time. Then he detached another two, which left me with only two. I turned into one of these and got in a shot which put a shell into his cockpit. He went head first into the sea. By this time the other one had gone and I was able to make for home." Andrews was able to land without brakes and with his aircraft riddled with cannon and machine gun holes. He was holed in the propeller, both main planes, engine, elevators, rudder and one of the undercarriage legs. A bullet had also holed the glycol tank and when he landed his engine was 'just about boiling'. Credited with one FW 190. (1.1.1) 10 Sep 43 - Awarded DFC. Sep 43 - Promoted to Squadron Leader and assumes command of the squadron. 08 Oct 43 - Seven Spitfires led by Andrews, on an early morning patrol over the English Channel, encountered a formation of eight Me-110s. The enemy staffel were flying at 200 feet in two vics of four, 300 metres apart, west of Brest on a mission to hunt and destroy RAF Sunderland flying patrols who were patrolling for German U-Boats in the Bay of Biscay. In the ensuing dog-fight F/O McDade shot down two aircraft, P/O 'Rusty' Leith bagged another two, and F/L Ewins destroyed a fifth. But for these five victories F/O Harold Parker was shot down and seen by Ross Currie to crash straight into the sea at a 70 degree angle. Ewins baled out with his engine trailing smoke. He entered his dinghy and about an hour later he was picked up by a destroyer and taken to England. 20 Feb 44 - Covering the withdrawal of Fortress and Liberator bombers, 453 made its deepest penetration into Europe. Andrews led the Detling Wing, now comprising 132 and 453 Squadrons, on this mission to Lille. 02 May 44 - Handed command of 453 Sqn to S/L Don Smith. 17 Jun 44 - Probably destroyed one Fw 190. (1.2.1) 11 Apr 45 - The Wing (451 and 453 Sqn) flew a bomber escort led by the Wing Leader, W/C Don Andrews, escorting a hundred Halifaxes of No.4 Group to attack the railway yards at Bayreuth, north of Nuremburg.

References:
Defeat to Victory - John Bennett Australian War Memorial Photograph No: UK2744, UK1267, UK2743, UK0604
 

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