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Andrew Crawford FLETCHER

Serial Number: NZ42675
RNZAF Trade: Air Gunner (Rear Gunner)
Date of Enlistment: 20th of January 1942
Rank Achieved: Flight Sergeant
Flying Hours: unknown, no log book survives
Operational Sorties: 10 ops

Date of Birth: Andrew was born on the 16th of May 1920, at Auckland
Personal Details: He was the son of Daniel Fletcher and of Jeanie Fletcher (nee McNeill), of Devonport, Auckland, New Zealand.

The family moved to Cambridge and Andrew was educated at Cambridge District High School, and upon leaving he stayed in Cambridge where he worked on the local P & T staff. His father owned a tobacconist shop in Cambridge.

Prior to the war the family had moved back to Devonport, and when Andrew enlisted for RNZAF service on the 20th of January 1942, he had previously been employed in farming with Mr C. Allen of East Tamaki, Auckland. Andrew was the husband of Dorothy May Fletcher, also of Devonport, and later of Luton, England.

Service Details: Andrew enlisted at RNZAF Station Ohakea on the 20th of January 1942, He was employed on the station just doing non-specified ground duties. He later continued in these duties at RNZAF Station Milson, Palmerston North, then back at Ohakea, and finally ay RNZAF Station New Plymouth.

At this point he remustered to aircrew and was posted on the 26th of November 1942 to the Initial Training Wing at RNZAF Station Levin to begin training as a Wireless Operator/ Air Gunner.

Following initial training Andrew embarked on the 1st of April 1943 to train in Canada. After arrival in that country he was posted on the 24th of April to No. 2 Wireless School in Calgary, Alberta. On the 8th of August 1943 he proceeded to No. 9 Bombing and Gunnery School at Mount Joli, Quebec. On the 17th of September 1943 he completed this course and was presented with his Air Gunner badge. He was promoted to Sergeant on this date.

In late September 1943 Andrew made his way to No. 1 "Y" Depot at Halifax, Nova Scotia, for embarkation to the United Kingdom. He arrived at No. 12 RNZAF Personnel Despatch and Reception Centre in Brighton, England on the 17th of October 1943.

A month later Andrew moved to No. 11 OTU at Westcott, Buckinghamshire, where he crewed up and completed his training aboard Vickers Wellington aircraft. The captain of his crew was Pilot Officer Harold Whittington, RNZAF, of Hamilton.

Andrew was promoted to the rank of Flight Sergeant on the 17th of March 1944, and during April he and his crew converted to the four-engined Short Stirling bomber at Stradishall, Suffolk. He and his crewmates were then posted to No. 75 (NZ) Squadron at Mepal, Cambridgeshire, on the 12th of June 1944 for operational flying on Avro Lancaster bombers.

Andrew was flying on his 10th sortie with No. 75 (NZ) Squadron when he was killed, and all the sorties he went on have been kindly supplied to me by Wayne Mellor from the No. 75 Squadron Operations Record Book, who lists them as:

Date
Lancaster
Target
Crew

15/16 June 1944

ND756 Valenciennes. Marshalling Yards

F/Sgt Harold Whittington (Captain)
F/Lt Joseph Stevens (Navigator)
Sgt D.W. Gore (Flight Engineer)
Sgt Alfred Simpson (Air Bomber)
F/O Philip Tomkins
Sgt Ronald Batty (Air Gunner)
F/Sgt Andrew Fletcher (Air Gunner)

17/18 June 1944 ND756 Montdidier Railways. Combat with a Fw190-claimed as probably destroyed. F/Sgt Harold Whittington (Captain)
F/Lt Joseph Stevens (Navigator)
Sgt D.W. Gore (Flight Engineer)
Sgt Alfred Simpson (Air Bomber)
F/O Philip Tomkins
Sgt Ronald Batty (Air Gunner)
F/Sgt Andrew Fletcher (Air Gunner)
24/25 June 1944 ND747 Rimeux. Flying Bomb Site F/Sgt Harold Whittington (Captain)
F/Lt Joseph Stevens (Navigator)
Sgt D.W. Gore (Flight Engineer)
Sgt Alfred Simpson (Air Bomber)
F/O Philip Tomkins
Sgt Ronald Batty (Air Gunner)
F/Sgt Andrew Fletcher (Air Gunner)
27/28 June 1944 ME618 V1 Flying Bomb Sites F/Sgt Harold Whittington (Captain)
F/Lt Joseph Stevens (Navigator)
Sgt D.W. Gore (Flight Engineer)
Sgt Alfred Simpson (Air Bomber)
F/O Philip Tomkins
Sgt Ronald Batty (Air Gunner)
F/Sgt Andrew Fletcher (Air Gunner
)
2/3 July 1944 ME691 Beauvoir. Flying Bomb Site F/Sgt Harold Whittington (Captain)
F/Lt Joseph Stevens (Navigator)
Sgt D.W. Gore (Flight Engineer)
Sgt Alfred Simpson (Air Bomber)
F/O Philip Tomkins
Sgt Ronald Batty (Air Gunner)
F/Sgt Andrew Fletcher (Air Gunner)
12 July 1944 ND747

Vaires. Marshalling Yards

F/Sgt Harold Whittington (Captain)
F/Lt Joseph Stevens (Navigator)
Sgt D.W. Gore (Flight Engineer)
Sgt Alfred Simpson (Air Bomber)
F/O Philip Tomkins
Sgt Ronald Batty (Air Gunner)
F/Sgt Andrew Fletcher (Air Gunner)
15/16 July 1944 ND747 Chalons Sur Marne. Marshalling Yards F/Sgt Harold Whittington (Captain)
F/Lt Joseph Stevens (Navigator)
Sgt D.W. Gore (Flight Engineer)
Sgt Alfred Simpson (Air Bomber)
F/O Philip Tomkins
Sgt Ronald Batty (Air Gunner)
F/Sgt Andrew Fletcher (Air Gunner)
18 July 1944 HK562 Cagny. Enemy troop and armour concentrations F/Sgt Harold Whittington (Captain)
F/Lt Joseph Stevens (Navigator)
Sgt D.W. Gore (Flight Engineer)
Sgt Alfred Simpson (Air Bomber)
F/O Philip Tomkins
Sgt Ronald Batty (Air Gunner)
F/Sgt Andrew Fletcher (Air Gunner)
18/19 July 1944 HK652

Aulnoye. Railway Junction

F/Sgt Harold Whittington (Captain)
F/Lt Joseph Stevens (Navigator)
Sgt D.W. Gore (Flight Engineer)
Sgt Alfred Simpson (Air Bomber)
F/O Philip Tomkins
Sgt Ronald Batty (Air Gunner)
F/Sgt Andrew Fletcher (Air Gunner)
20/21 July 1944 ME691
AA-R
Homberg. Oil Refinery. Missing F/Sgt Harold Whittington (Captain)
F/Lt Joseph Stevens (Navigator)
Sgt D.W. Gore (Flight Engineer)
Sgt Alfred Simpson (Air Bomber)
F/O Philip Tomkins
Sgt Ronald Batty (Air Gunner)
F/Sgt Andrew Fletcher (Air Gunner)

 

Details of Death: Andrew took off from RAF Mepal at 23.30hrs on the night of the 20th of July 1944 in No. 75 (NZ) Squadron Avro Lancaster I ME691 (AA-R). 147 Lancasters and 22 Mosquito bombers were making a raid on an oil plant at Homberg in the Ruhr region of Germany. At 01.33hrs on the 21st of July 1944 the Lancaster was brought down and crashed near the Veghel-Uden road. All the crew were killed except for the Flight Engineer, who was taken prisoner. The crew, including Andrew, were buried at Uden, 7km north-east of Veghel. Andrew was aged 24

Buried at: Uden War Cemetery, grave 5.A.11

Connection with Cambridge: Andrew had lived in Cambridge prior to moving to Auckland where he joined the RNZAF from.

Sources: The photo of Andrew was kindly supplied by Arthur 'Digger' Arculus, Details of this airman's death were sourced from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website and the excellent volumes of 'For Your Tomorrow' by Errol Martyn. Thanks too to Wayne Mellor for his assistance, and the No. 75 Squaron Official History for further details.


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