RIP Les Andrews QSM

[Dave Homewood]

I see that the popular soldier-entertainer Les Andrews QSM, of the WWII Kiwi Concret Party, has passed away.

ANDREWS, Leslie Arthur. QSM. Peacefully on the 28 February 2014 at Edmund Hillary Retirement Village, aged 96. Beloved husband of Sonia and father and father in law of Jenny and Bob, David and Gill, and the late Robert. Much loved grandfather of Dean, Samantha, Blake, Davey, Andrew, Emma, Amanda, Luke, Erik and great grandfather of William, Chloe, Calin, Jake, Jasmine, Elroy, Jemma and Tamika. A Service to celebrate the life of Les will be held at St Andrew's Presbyterian Church, corner of Symonds Street and Alten Road, Auckland on Tuesday 11 March at 12 noon.


www.vacnz.com/2014/03/02/les-andrews-passes-away/

Les Andrews Passes Away
Les Andrews Click go the TollgatesIt is with great regret that we advise the passing of a dear and respected founding member of the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand, 1974 Benny Award winner Les Andrews QSM.

Les passed away on the 28th of February 2014 at 10am, surrounded by family.

News of Les’ funeral services will be posted when available. The VAC wish to send our heartfelt condolences to his surviving wife and family.

1974 Benny Award Winner : Les Andrews QSM

In his youth Les Andrews was stationed for two years in North Africa’s Western Desert with the 16th Railway Operating Company. He spent a further two years in Italy in the British Bridge Layer Tanks Division of the 4th New Zealand Armoured Brigade, which lead to a life-changing experience in a basement music room. One of the tank drivers started playing the piano and Les sang along. They heard footsteps and a figure appeared in the semi-darkness. He asked Les why he wasn’t in the Kiwi Concert Party, to which he replied: “I’m buggered if I know.” The man turned to go and Les noticed the red braid on his hat and epaulets – it was Lieutenant-General Bernard Cyril Freyberg. Les was transferred to the concert party ten days later.

After the war he received a one-year bursary to study singing at the Sydney Conservatorium, and competed against some seventy-two tenors to win their championship. This opened the door to the Royal College of Music in London where he studied for two years. He stayed on in England, singing on BBC radio and television and performed in a Royal Command Performance in London.

Once his children were older, the family moved back to New Zealand. Les became a local personality compering shows such as Personality Squares, Tinker Tailor and Music in 3D. He was working on talkback radio in 1965 when he met second wife Sonia. They went on to sing together for decades and released numerous albums.

Les and Sonia were great patrons of the arts and in 1992 were awarded Queen’s Service Medals for their services to entertainment. Together they put on thirty-seven variety concerts for charity in the Aotea Centre in the 1990s – thirty-five totally sold-out. With the profits of these shows they established the Les and Sonia Andrews Cultural Foundation, which has sponsored artists such as baritone Teddy Tahu Rhodes and tenor Simon O’Neill. Les and Sonia were also greatly respected for their donations to the Royal New Zealand Ballet and Bach Musica New Zealand.

Les released his autobiography What A Laugh in 1999. He passed away in February 2014.

[delticman]

I can add a little more about Les. Before the war I'm pretty sure he was a station porter at St Andrews south of Timaru. He would have signed up for the war in 1939 and departed in 1940. He was in the same unit as my father and uncle. One of the stories untold in the Desert Railway book is that when on leave in Alexndria, they would go to the Fleet Club where there a a "Talent Quest". Les would always win and there free beer for the rest of the night. This went on for some time and finally when the party from the 16th ROC turned up, Les was barred from entry but they still got free beer. By then another uncle of mine had arrived who was part of the regular army and prior to Italy some of the them were farmed out with family and friends. It was here that my Uncle Alex met Les. When the ROC's returned to New Zealand, many of the ROC men joined up and ended up in tanks to the end of the war.

The 16th ROC did have an orchestra in which Les would have been the singer, but they were under the control of the British Army Engineers, so would have had no real contact with the NZ Army until they returned on the Neiw Amsterdam.

I only met him once in the seventies, one of those really nice guys.

[Dave Homewood]

Great stories Ray, thanks.