Eldest son of William and Isabella Andrews. Recorded as Arthur Andrews on census records
1901 Census aged 5 living at 57 Sidney Road Borstal with his parents and 4 siblings. His father is a cement labourer and a Private in the Army Reserve (served in Queen’s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment) – 50th & 97th Foot from 1884-1892 & 1896-1901 in Gibraltar, Malta and S.Africa). His mother was originally from Edinburgh.
1911 Census aged 15 at 41 Sidney Road with his now widowed mother and two younger siblings. His occupation is Painter.
He attended Borstal National School from February 1904 until he was 14, leaving on the 2nd April 1909. School records give his DOB as 4th April 1895, Census gives 1896
Military Career
Air Mechanic 1st Class, No 31 Squadron RAF. Service number 2446.
Enlisted 30 November 1914 as 1914 as a (Air Mechanic 2nd class) in the Royal Flying Corps.
His civilian occupation is listed as Chauffeur Mechanic.
Description is 5’5” tall, 32” chest, brown hair, grey eyes and fresh complexion.
Became Air Mechanic 1st class 1 July 1915. Trade proficiency Fitter (Gen)
Embarked to 18 Squadron on 10 November 1915 in France
To Home Establishment 13 February 1917 (France)
Moved from B Depot to 114 Sq and 31 Sq (Lahore) 25 December 1917 via Egypt
Died on 19th July 1918 at Stationary Hospital, Risalpur. Buried in Nowshera Military Cemetery, Bengal and commemorated on the Delhi Memorial (India Gate)
http://www.everymanremembered.org/profiles/soldier/1436724
His effects totalled £108 13s 5d. and were left to his mother
31 Squadron History
31 Squadron was formed at Farnborough on 11 October 1915 composed of a single ‘A’ flight. In December 1915 the five officers of ‘A’ flight were deployed to Bombay, India and then Risalpur, arriving on 26 December. Subsequently, ‘B’ flight was formed in January 1916, followed by ‘C’ flight in April, both at Gosport, joining ‘A’ flight in Risalpur in May 1916. During World War I it operated along the north- west frontier of India, assisting the British army in its struggle against dissident Peshawar tribesmen. The first aircraft used by the squadron were Bristol BE2c and Henri Farman biplanes, fitted with bomb sights and racks. Two of the machines even had wireless sets which were used for observing and directing artillery fire.
Ancestry.com sources
1901 Census Class: RG13; Piece: 725; Folio: 111; Page: 24
1911 Census Class: RG14; Piece: 3889; Schedule Number: 233
Military-Genealogy.com, comp. UK, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008
England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1966, 1973-1995 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
India, Select Deaths and Burials, 1719-1948 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014
National Army Museum; Chelsea, London, England; Soldiers’ Effects Records, 1901-60; NAM Accession Number: 1991-02-333; Record Number Ranges: 814001-815500; Reference: 494 Other sources
http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafmarham/aboutus/31sqnhistory.cfm
Findmypast sources
British Royal Air Force, Airmen’s service records 1912-1939
National School Admission Registers & Log-books 1870-1914
British Army Service Records
Biography compiled by Sean Ryan