Leslie Andrew - Biography

Biography

Leslie Andrew was born 23 March 1897 in Ashurst, Manawatu, New Zealand. He grew up in Wanganui, where his father was a headmaster. He attended both Wanganui Boys' High School and Wanganui Collegiate before starting work with the Railways Department as a clerk. He married Bessie M. BALL, daughter of T. Ball, Brinsley, Nottinghamshire, England. They had two daughters and two sons.

He joined up on 26 October 1915 when, in common with a lot of other young men at the time, he advanced his age to 20 in order to ensure that he could serve overseas. A member of the 12th Reinforcements, he sailed on 1 May 1916. In France he was posted to B Company, Wellington Infantry Battalion. Just days after his arrival he was wounded in the fighting at The Somme.

Following the success of the June 1917 attack on Messines Ridge and the dislodgement of the Germans from positions that looked down on Allied lines, fighting in the area continued as the Germans attacked and the Allies consolidated their gains. On July 26 1917, some seven weeks after the Battle of Messines, New Zealand forces had taken the tiny village of La Basseville just a few kilometres southwest of Messines. They had suffered serious casualties, however, many resulting from fire from a German machine-gun position in a two-storey inn. This machine-gun post had also stopped the New Zealanders effectively securing the gains they had made. The next day the Germans re-took the village.

On July 31 the British launched another attack, which included the Second Wellington and First Auckland battalions at La Basseville. The Wellington men were to take the village and move some 500 metres further to clear an additional area and establish positions there. The Aucklands were to hit German defences. The artillery barrage began and shortly before 4 am the New Zealanders began advancing behind it. Leslie Andrew was leading two sections with the express task of destroying the machine-gun position in the inn. However, as they moved forward behind the barrage they noticed another machine-gun emplacement on the nearby railway line which was holding up other New Zealand troops. They diverted, captured it, and then ran to catch up with the creeping barrage. As they approached the inn, they pushed through their own barrage and headed for their objective which was firing continuously. Leslie Andrew mad a decision to approach the inn from a different route in order to avoid being spotted. This they did, famously crawling their way through thistles. They threw in their Mills bombs and then rushed the position, killing some of the Germans and capturing the gun. While his men withdrew with the captured gun, Leslie Andrew and a Private L. R. Ritchie moved some 300 metres further forward towards the town of Warneton and to the limits of the barrage in order to scout out the area. At Der Rooster Cabaret they found some of the Germans ensconced in the cellar as well as a machine-gun in a trench. The two men rushed the position, throwing Mills bombs and clearing it before finally returning to their company.

It was for his leadership and bravery during these actions that Leslie Andrew was awarded the Victoria Cross at the age of 20. The citation in the London Gazette was dated September 6, 1917, and reads:

When he was 20 years old, and a corporal in the 2nd Battalion, Wellington Infantry Regiment, New Zealand Expeditionary Force during the First World War, he was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions on 31 July 1917 at La Bassée, France:

Corporal Andrew was in charge of a small party in an attack on the enemy's position. His objective was a machine-gun post which had been located in an isolated building, but on leading his men forward he encountered another machine-gun post which was holding up the advance of another company. He immediately attacked it, capturing the gun and killing several of the crew. He then continued with his attack on the original objective and finally captured the post, killing a number of the enemy and putting the remainder to flight.

During World War II, he commanded the 22nd Battalion of the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force. Following the disaster on Crete, Lt-Col Andrew, together with a number of other senior officers, became embroiled in the controversy that still surrounds the Battle. L.W. Andrew remained with the 22nd Battalion to serve in the early phases of the North Africa Campaign. He relinquished command of the Battalion on 3 February 1942, (a significant date given his nickname was "Old February" for his tendency to give 28 days punishment for various misdemeanour's) and returned to New Zealand, where he was promoted to full Colonel and took command of the Wellington Fortress Area and undertook various training commands. Colonel Andrew commanded the 1946 Victory Contingent in London. He was promoted to Brigadier and retired in 1952.

Leslie Andrew died 8 January 1969 aged 71. His grave/memorial is at Levin RSA Cemetery, Tiro Tiro Road, Levin, New Zealand. Returned Serviceman's Section, row 13. Headstone. The "Andrew Barracks" in Linton Army Camp is named after him.

His Victoria Cross was displayed at the QEII Army Memorial Museum, Waiouru, New Zealand. On Sunday 2 December 2007 it was one of nine Victoria Crosses that were among 96 medals stolen from the museum. On 16 February 2008 New Zealand Police announced all the medals had been recovered as a result of a NZ$300,000 reward offered by Michael Ashcroft and Tom Sturgess.