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Post by lifeboatadam on Dec 10, 2014 20:58:09 GMT 12
Is anyone able to provide information on a Kiwi airman, Flying officer Ronald Frederick Andrews NZ 424405. I have just had an interesting inquiry on my blog, but can't place this man with 488 NZ Squadron at present. Thanks, Adam broodyswar.wordpress.com |
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Post by bevanid on Dec 11, 2014 13:29:20 GMT 12
Hi Adam,
It was my mother Lynette, that sent you the message. one of the carers looking after my Nan is also looking after Ron Andrews 98 years old, in Taupo, I have been talking to Dave H about him and we can not make sense of the 'facts' that he has given he clams to have shot down 39 enemy aircraft, 33 of which were on 10 consecutive nights.. and his medals were stolen.? and there is no information on him on the net...
If this doesn't raise eyebrows I don't know what does... Dave said he Did his training in the RNZAF but never saw combat,
If on the small chance that hat he is saying is true then how it got under the radar who knows.
Cheers
Bevan
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Post by errolmartyn on Dec 11, 2014 14:46:22 GMT 12
Some basic info about Andrews:
NZ424405 Ronald Frederick Andrews
Born 27 Dec 16
Enlisted Rotorua (ITW) as Airman Pilot u/t 2 May 42 (was married at the time)
Graduated as pilot in New Zealand
Embarked Wharton for UK/attached RAF 6 Apr 43
Commissioned as Plt Off (from Flt Sgt) 19 Jul 44
Fg Off 19 Jan 45
Reserve 4 Oct 45
His age of 98 should be sounding alarm bells regarding the victory claims he has made.
Errol
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 11, 2014 15:20:10 GMT 12
You and I have discussed him before Errol, not too long ago.
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Post by noooby on Dec 12, 2014 11:09:24 GMT 12
No Sqn info Errol? I can't imagine that he would have been idle for 2+ years while attached to the RAF!
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 12, 2014 17:17:53 GMT 12
I have spoken with Ron, and he claims that he he was a night-fighter pilot. However he then told me he shot down 39 enemy aircraft. I was intrigued and given that this is five more aircraft than Johnny Johnson (the RAF's top ace of the war) is credited with, I asked which squadron he served with.
He said he was never with a squadron, and he went on to say he'd just finished his training at Cranwell and had passed out and the unit was about to move to another base. He reckons he convinced the bosses to let him do an operational flight hunting enemy aircraft, and they allowed him. He says he shot down ten aircraft in the first night. Cranwell must have been pleased with this as he went on to shoot down another 29 on top of that, all twin engined aircraft except for one which was a single engine fighter, he says.
He said that because he was not on a squadron, the RAF now has no record of it, and he reckons his daughter tried to find to find any record in Cranwell's records but there's nothing which he says surprises him. But he said "Oh well, I wasn't there to win medals and recognition. I was there to shoot down the enemy."
I am of course exceedingly sceptical of course, as I am sure you are too. But he sounds very genuine in his telling and he reckons his navigator is also still alive in a resthome in Auckland, but he never gave me his name. So I don't really know what to believe, but he also might be worth investigating further.
He has agreed to let me interview him, and I might just do so to see what else he comes out with. It could be interesting. And there's slim chance he may well have some truth in what he says I guess. He didn't sound anything like a doddery 98 year old on the phone, he was very with it and confident in what he was saying. I just don't know if it was the truth.
I need to make a trip to Taupo and see what he has to say. Anyone keen to come along? Bevan?
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Post by lifeboatadam on Dec 12, 2014 22:56:23 GMT 12
Dave, Errol & Bevan - All very interesting. Definitely worth an interview and I'd be intrigued to hear what he says. The fact he claims to have destroyed 39 E/A while unattached to a squadron and essential "freelancing" all sounds rather fanciful, but perhaps there is some truth in some of it?
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 12, 2014 23:10:45 GMT 12
I'd doubt it...
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Post by baronbeeza on Dec 12, 2014 23:11:38 GMT 12
Cranwell is in Lincolnshire. Lincolnshire was home to literally scores of bomber bases. In 1943 and 1944 the skies would have been full of bombers, some twin engined I guess. I am not so sure shooting down your own team counts. Quite a number of members here have lived at Cranwell, I am sure it would be as much news to the others as it is me. ***EDIT*** I can recall tales of night fighters using Digby as a Base, was there mention in Tiger Squadron of Ira Jones or someone having some adventure there. Chased a night fighter about and as he moved in for the kill realised his guns weren't armed. www.bcar.org.uk/digby-history |
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Post by lifeboatadam on Dec 13, 2014 1:54:10 GMT 12
I suspect you will turn out to be right, Dave.
During my research, I have uncovered another story from an airman that does not tally with official records. I'm not going to go into details here, but it does make you wonder sometimes.
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Post by Bruce on Dec 13, 2014 10:03:28 GMT 12
Walter Mitty...
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 13, 2014 10:49:44 GMT 12
Adam, there's a lot of it about, sadly. I interviewed a chap who claimed to fly Avengers with both No's 30 and 31 Squadron in the Pacific. In reality he'd never gotten any closer to the Avengers than the Aerodrome Defence Unit at Gisborne.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 13, 2014 11:04:10 GMT 12
Also around a year ago a friend of mine who lives in a retirement village in Whangarei told me she had a friend there who was 96 or so, who said he flew Hurricanes in the Battle of Britain. She knew my interest in interviewing people so I investigated his name, and there were no kiwis in the Battle with that name, so I asked her about it, and she said he was English, so I contacted renowned BofB expert Andy Saunders and he said the chap was not on any BofB lists as having taken part. So it seems he may have been telling porkies too. Not long after he took a turn for the worse I'm told and was unable to be interviewed anyway.
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Post by graham488 on Dec 16, 2014 7:18:29 GMT 12
Adam alerted me to this guy last evening and the only Andrews I have on my 488 crew list is Flying Officer Andrews (Andy) with an attachment date of 25/06/1942 to 09/01/1943. Those dates would have had him serving at Church Fenton from the inception date of the squadron in the UK. No other details are available or on record. 488 were flying Beaufighters over that period !
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