Sunday 25 May 2014

St Michael's: Ernest Lancelot Andrews

The Andrews family of Highgate: (back) Cecil, May, Chris, Rev. John Marshall Andrews; (middle) Archie, Lance, Mrs Lucy Andrews with baby Dorothy; (front); Clem, Harry (with kind permission of Sally Willis, granddaughter of Cecil Andrews)

Ernest Lancelot ANDREWS
Died 25th August 1918

Date of Birth: 19th December 1876
Place of Birth: Pancras, London

Ernest Lancelot (Lance) was the fourth son of the late Rev. John Marshall Andrews and of Lucy Anne Andrews of 2 Winchester Road, Oxford, Oxfordshire. He was the elder brother of Captain Christopher B.Andrews RMLI, Plymouth Bn. KIA 11/5/15. On the 1891 census he was a scholar living with his family at The Vicarage (of St Michael's), Hampstead Lane, Highgate. In 1898 Lance left England to serve with the Cape Mounted Rifles until 1902. In 1909, he acquired title to three properties totalling 464 1/2 acres near Margaret River in Western Australia. Lance was joined on the farm by his younger brother, Chris, the following year (Penelope Ransby, Dream of Margaret River). On 22nd December 1914, age 37, Lance embarked Melbourne, Australia  on HMAT Ceramic A40 as a Sergeant (No. 89) with the 16th Infantry Bn. Australian Imperial Forces. On embarkation, he gave the name of next of kin as his brother, Cecil Andrews, Education Department, Perth, Western Australia.

Service Details: Temporary Captain – Royal Marines [RM], 1st Royal Marine Battalion -
Commissioned Temporary 2nd Lieutenant RM 21st August 1915 – Temporary Captain 22nd February 1916 – Draft for Mediterranean Expeditionary Force [MEF] 25th October 1915 – joined 2nd RM Bn. 22nd November 1915-30 October 1916 Sprained ankle, Invalided to UK 3rd November 1916 – Draft for British Expeditionary Force [BEF] 7th February 1917, joined 2nd RM Battalion 23rd February 1917-20th March 1917 VD, rejoined 2nd RM Battalion – 4th May 1917-10th May 1917 Epididymitis, Invalided to UK 13th May 1917 – Draft for BEF 1st April 1918, joined 2nd RM Battalion 8th April 1918 – transferred to 1st RM Battalion 28th April 1918-25th August 1918

Lance Andrews (with kind permission of Sally Willis)
wearing the uniform of a captain in the Royal Marines (circa 1917 or 1918).

Place of Death: France

Place of Burial: Australian Imperial Forces Burial Ground, Flers, Somme, France; Grave IX. G. 8.

The grave of Lance Andrews in the AIF Burial Ground, Flers, Department of the Somme
Full details of Lance's farming life and wartime experiences can be read in Penelope Ransby's excellent book, Dream of Margaret River: A story of love and loss from the Great War (Centennial, 2008). See http://www.dreamofmargaretriver.com/index.html for further information.

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