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Andrews, Wallace Launcelot

Date of birth:
March 13th, 1908
Date of death:
July 30th, 1944 (Ripon, Yorkshire, Great Britain)
Buried on:
Commonwealth War Graves St. Mary’s Cemetery
Grave: 2/4242.
Nationality:
British (1801-present, Kingdom)

Biography

Major

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Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Second-Lieutenant
Unit:
22/23 Bomb Disposal Sections, Bomb Disposal Royal Engineers, Home Forces, British Army
Near Croydon, Surrey on 26th August 1940, Second Lieutenant Andrews was in charge of Nos. 22 and 23 Bomb Disposal Sections when a bomb which fell near the aerodrome failed to explode. It was necessary to extract the fuse if possible in order to forward it to the Department of Scientific Research, but several attempts were made to remove it without success. Lieutenant Andrews then told his men to take cover and after tying apiece of cord to the ring of the fuse discharger, pulled, with the result that the bomb exploded; he was blown a considerable distance and two of his men received splinter wounds.

In 1976, the family offered to sell the medal to the Royal Engineers Museum. This offer was not taken up and it is assumed that the medal was then sold privately.
George Cross

Sources

Photo