Serial Number: NZ42675
RNZAF Trade: Air Gunner (Rear Gunner)
Date of Enlistment: 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: Son of Daniel Fletcher and of Jeanie Fletcher (nee McNeill), of Devonport, Auckland, New Zealand. 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. Andrew was the husband of Dorothy May Fletcher, also of Devonport, and later of Luton, England.

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.

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, Bucks, 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:

15/16 June 1944 17/18 June 1944 _ 24/25 June 1944 2 July 1944 12 July 1944 15/16 July 1944 17 July 1944 18 July 1944 18/19 July 1944 20/21 Juy 44

Valenciennes. Marshalling Yards. Montdidier. Railways. Combat with a Fw190-claimed as probably destroyed. Rimeux. Flying Bomb Site Beauvoir. Flying Bomb Site Vaires. Marshalling Yards Chalons Sur Marne. Marshalling Yards Vaires. Marshalling Yards Cagny. Enemy troop and armour concentrations Aulnoye. Railway Junction Homberg. Oil Refinery. Missing