![]() Having qualified for his 'Wings' and been commissioned, he attended No. Ronald Charles MacAndrew commenced his pilot training at R.A.F. He has shown all the attributes of an excellent Flight Commander and in view of the foregoing is strongly recommended for the award of the Distinguished Flying Cross.' He has made 26 sorties since his squadron commenced their specialised operations. 110 was lost sight of and was claimed and admitted as damaged.Īcting Squadron Leader MacAndrew was appointed Deputy Flight Commander of 'B' Flight on 17 September 1943 and Flight Commander on 21 February 1944. 110 and closing from 400 to 300 feet gave a very short burst of cannon and machine-gun fire before all his guns jammed, not, however, before he had observed strikes on the fuselage and wing of the enemy aircraft, causing pieces to fly off and the port under-carriage to come down. He made his first sortie on 14 June 1943, and on his second, two days later, and when east of Eindhoven, found an enemy aircraft, which he identified as an Me. Wittering, the Squadron were detailed for new duties of a most secret and highly specialised nature, and Acting Squadron Leader MacAndrew again applied himself with vigour to the new training required. He took part in several Ranger sorties, on one occasion badly damaging a train. On 15 March( sic) 1943, on an Air Sea Rescue patrol, he succeeded in sighting a dinghy, thereby enabling its occupants to be rescued. Nothing daunted, the three Beaufighters, each singling out a destroyer went into the attack, and it was only on the orders of his Squadron Commander that Acting Squadron Leader MacAndrew broke off his attack. When the convoy, consisting of four destroyers surrounding a large merchant ship was sighted, neither bombers nor other supporting aircraft could be seen. On 10 March( sic) 1943, three aircraft led by the Squadron Commander were detailed to act as Bomber Escort on a shipping strike in the Bay of Biscay. Predannack, the Squadron commenced training for more offensive operations, and Acting Squadron Leader MacAndrew immediately applied himself with zest to the task of making himself and his operator proficient in flying long distances over strange country. From then until the end of February he flew approximately 20 hours on night defensive patrols often in extremely difficult weather. He immediately applied himself to night flying training and on 16 January 1943 made his first defensive night fighter patrol. It was obvious from the first that this officer was to prove a well above average pilot. 'Acting Squadron Leader MacAndrew joined 141 Squadron at R.A.F. 'Wings', generally good very fine (9)ĭ.F.C. MacAndrew', and two wartime period embroidered R.A.F. In his autobiography - Scramble! - the latter pays tribute to his fellow pilot for sticking with him as they flew into walls of flak over a heavily defended enemy convoy: 'Red balls of fire flashed towards us … the air was full of flying metal and I couldn't see how we could escape being hit'ĭistinguished Flying Cross, G.VI.R., the reverse officially dated '1944' 1939-45 Star Air Crew Europe Star, clasp, France and Germany Burma Star Defence and War Medals 1939-45, together with the recipient's Caterpillar Club membership badge, with 'ruby' eyes, the reverse officially inscribed, 'F./L. Most dramatic of all, however, was the occasion when he joined Braham on an 'Instep' sortie over the Bay of Biscay in April 1943. as he took violent evasive action: as a consequence his Beaufighter's back hatch blew open and 'the Navigator lost his hat but not his head' ![]() 110 over Hasselt one night in June 1943, his Air Speed Altimeter registered an unprecedented 400 m.p.h. In fact MacAndrew's 18-month operational tour of 'Ranger', 'Instep' and Serrate sorties was occupied by much high drama: when his guns jammed after shooting up an Me. 141 Squadron, many of them enacted under the command of R.A.F. ![]() 'Mac' MacAndrew, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, a member of the Caterpillar Club and veteran of over 50 operational sorties in Beaufighters and Mosquitos of No. group of six awarded to Squadron Leader R. Auction: 17001 - Orders, Decorations and MedalsĪ particularly fine Second World War night intruder's D.F.C.
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