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Lot Essay
[See Front Cover]
Sold with original Central Chancery Investiture letter (dated 23.11.1945), and one or two wartime photographs.
C.G.M. London Gazette 26.10.1945. Recommendation states 'Since being awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal, Flight Sergeant Andrew has completed a further 35 bombing attacks against enemy targets as an Air Gunner in heavy bombers, with Path Finder Force. Many of his sorties have been carried out in the Master Bomber aircraft. He has always shown an extremely strong spirit of offence, plus skill at his job second to none. Flight Sergeant Andrew has earned for himself an excellent reputation as a Gunner in the Squadron and by his devotion to duty, has set an extremely fine example to all Aircrew. This N.C.O's fine record of service is considered worthy of the non-immediate award of a Bar to the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal (sic)'.
D.F.M. London Gazette 8.12.1944. Recommendation states 'Flight Sergeant Andrew is a most efficient and capable Air Gunner who has shown the greatest determination when flying on operations. Many of the 54 bombing attacks against the enemy in which he has taken part have been against targets strongly defended by night fighters and Anti-Aircraft guns. It is considered that the high standard of efficiency attained by this N.C.O., together with his record of many operations successfully completed, fully merits the non-immediate award of the Distinguished Flying Medal'.
Warrant Officer Solomon Joseph Harold Andrew, C.G.M., D.F.M., who was one of just 11 Airmen to win a C.G.M., D.F.M. combination in the Second World War, commenced his extraordinary operational career in late November 1943, with a raid on Berlin. Recently enrolled as an Air Gunner in Halifaxes (afterwards Lancasters) of No. 35 Squadron, No. 8 (Path Finder) Group, he would go on to complete a staggering 89 sorties - and over 300 hours operational flying - against numerous German and French targets. Among the former he visited Frankfurt (thrice), Stuttgart (four times), Essen (four times), Bremen (twice), Duisberg (twice), Dortmund (thrice), Kiel (twice) and Dresden once - on the night of 13-14.2.1945, when the resultant 'Firestorm' devastated an area of 1600 acres and killed tens of thousands. And among the targets that he visited in Occupied France was the Coastal Battery at Longues on the eve of D-Day. Andrew appears to have flown his last operational sortie on 24.4.1945, against Neubrandenburg, and received both his C.G.M. and D.F.M. at the same Investiture in late November of the same year.
Sold with original Central Chancery Investiture letter (dated 23.11.1945), and one or two wartime photographs.
C.G.M. London Gazette 26.10.1945. Recommendation states 'Since being awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal, Flight Sergeant Andrew has completed a further 35 bombing attacks against enemy targets as an Air Gunner in heavy bombers, with Path Finder Force. Many of his sorties have been carried out in the Master Bomber aircraft. He has always shown an extremely strong spirit of offence, plus skill at his job second to none. Flight Sergeant Andrew has earned for himself an excellent reputation as a Gunner in the Squadron and by his devotion to duty, has set an extremely fine example to all Aircrew. This N.C.O's fine record of service is considered worthy of the non-immediate award of a Bar to the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal (sic)'.
D.F.M. London Gazette 8.12.1944. Recommendation states 'Flight Sergeant Andrew is a most efficient and capable Air Gunner who has shown the greatest determination when flying on operations. Many of the 54 bombing attacks against the enemy in which he has taken part have been against targets strongly defended by night fighters and Anti-Aircraft guns. It is considered that the high standard of efficiency attained by this N.C.O., together with his record of many operations successfully completed, fully merits the non-immediate award of the Distinguished Flying Medal'.
Warrant Officer Solomon Joseph Harold Andrew, C.G.M., D.F.M., who was one of just 11 Airmen to win a C.G.M., D.F.M. combination in the Second World War, commenced his extraordinary operational career in late November 1943, with a raid on Berlin. Recently enrolled as an Air Gunner in Halifaxes (afterwards Lancasters) of No. 35 Squadron, No. 8 (Path Finder) Group, he would go on to complete a staggering 89 sorties - and over 300 hours operational flying - against numerous German and French targets. Among the former he visited Frankfurt (thrice), Stuttgart (four times), Essen (four times), Bremen (twice), Duisberg (twice), Dortmund (thrice), Kiel (twice) and Dresden once - on the night of 13-14.2.1945, when the resultant 'Firestorm' devastated an area of 1600 acres and killed tens of thousands. And among the targets that he visited in Occupied France was the Coastal Battery at Longues on the eve of D-Day. Andrew appears to have flown his last operational sortie on 24.4.1945, against Neubrandenburg, and received both his C.G.M. and D.F.M. at the same Investiture in late November of the same year.