Leslie Wilton Andrew
Born 23 Mar 1897 - Died 8 Jan 1969
- Service number
- 11795 AWMM
- 30250 AWMM
- Also known as
- —
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- Last rank
- Inter War 2nd Lieutenant/Military AWMM Wellington Infantry Battalion AWMM
- WW2 Brigadier/Military AWMM New Zealand Army AWMM
- War
About
- Title
- —
- Forenames
- Leslie Wilton AWMM
- Surname
- Andrew AWMM
- Ingoa
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- Also known as
- —
- Service number
- 11795 AWMM
- 30250 AWMM
- Gender
- Male AWMM
- Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
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- Religion
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Images
Documents
About birth
- Birth
- 23 Mar 1897 AWMM
- Date of birth
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- Place of birth
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- Birth notes
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- Address before enlistment
- 1 Ranui Crescent, Khandallah, Wellington, New Zealand AWMM
- Post war occupation
- Soldier/Military AWMM
- Next of kin
- W.J. Andrew (father), Wanganui East, New Zealand AWMM
- Mrs B.M Andrew (wife), 1 Ranui Crescent, Khandallah, Wellington, New Zealand AWMM
Wars and conflicts
- War
- Campaign
- France and Germany (TBC) AWMM
- Greece AWMM
- 1941 AWMM Crete AWMM
- North Africa AWMM
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- Service number
- 11795 AWMM
- 30250 AWMM
- Military service
- —
- Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers
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Military decorations
- Medals and Awards
- Victoria Cross (VC) AWMM
Victoria Cross: Awarded 6 September 1917. Citation: "On 31 July 1917 at La Bassee Ville, France, Corporal Andrew was in charge of a small party in an attack on the enemy's position. His objective was a machine-gun post which had been located in an isolated building, but on leading his men forward he encountered another machine-gun post which was holding up the advance of another company. He immediately attacked it, capturing the gun and killing several of the crew. He then continued with his attack on the original objective and finally captured the post, killing a number of the enemy and putting the remainder to flight." AWMM - Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) AWMM
Distinguished Service Order: NZ Gazette, 21 September 1944. Citation: "For outstanding skill and leadership over the very difficult period 25th November to 9th December 1941. The HQ 5th NZ Inf Brigade and attached troops were captured and taken to Bardia on 25th November 1941. This was not known for certain for approximately thirty six hours. Lt Col Andrew's Battalion was then at Menastir and he tried by all means possible to contact his Brigade and other units. However D.R.s failed to return and no contact by wireless could be made. Until 1st December his Battalion continued to carry on their job at Menastir when food and water ran short and ammunition supply was very low. Lt Col Andrew decided the only thing to do was to take his Battalion and join up with the Indian Division near the Omars. So on the night of the 1st December the Battalion formed up on the escarpment, arriving Omars at 0400 hrs and contacted Indian Division who gave Lt Col Andrew orders to proceed to Musaid and form a new Brigade HQ with himself in command and that his Battalion was to strengthen up the line Sollum-Capuzzo. These orders were successfully carried out. On 3rd December the Brigade was ordered to Menastir to occupy the line previously held by 22 Battalion, handing over to the Indians. At Menastir the Brigade defeated several very heavy attacks by Germans, inflicting extremely heavy losses on the enemy. After three days the Brigade was ordered back to take over Sollum-Capuzzo line again. Owing to the position of the enemy this had now become a more difficult move and the only track from below the escarpment was very narrow and blasting by the engineers had been going on for two or three days to make it possible for the transport. However this was successfully accomplished and the Sollum-Capuzzo line taken over again. During this period Lt Col Andrew showed outstanding courage, skill and leadership and owing to his efforts the Brigade was brought through a very difficult fourteen days. He handed over the Brigade on 9th December." AWMM - British War Medal (1914-1920) AWMM
- Victory Medal AWMM
- 1939-1945 Star AWMM
- Africa Star AWMM
- Defence Medal AWMM
- War Medal 1939-1945 with oak leaf AWMM
- New Zealand War Service Medal AWMM
- Coronation Medal 1937 AWMM
- Coronation Medal ER 1953 AWMM
- New Zealand Long and Efficient Service Medal AWMM
- Mentioned in Despatches (MiD) AWMM
- Victoria Cross (VC) AWMM
Training and Enlistment
- Military training
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- Branch Trade Proficiency
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- Enlistment
- WW1 26 Oct 1915 AWMM
Age 18 AWMM
Clerk AWMM - WW2 Soldier/Military AWMM
- WW1 26 Oct 1915 AWMM
- Age on enlistment
- —
- Occupation before enlistment
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Embarkations
- Embarkation details
- WW1 01 May 1916-09 Jun 1916 AWMM
HMNZT 51 AWMM Vessel was Ulimaroa AWMM Corporal/Military AWMM 12th Reinforcements, Wellington Infantry Battalion, B Company AWMM New Zealand Expeditionary Force AWMM - WW2 Vessel was Empress of Britain AWMM Lieutenant Colonel/Military AWMM 22 Wellington Infantry Battalion AWMM Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force, Second Echelon AWMM
2nd Embarkation AWMM
- WW1 01 May 1916-09 Jun 1916 AWMM
Prisoner of war
- Capture details
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- Days interned
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- Liberation date
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- POW liberation details
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- Liberation Repatriation
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- POW serial number
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Medical history
- Medical notes
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Last known rank
- Last rank
- Inter War 21 Oct 1919 AWMM
End of War AWMM
2nd Lieutenant/Military AWMM
Wellington Infantry Battalion AWMM - WW2 1952 AWMM
Retired AWMM
Brigadier/Military AWMM
New Zealand Army AWMM
- Inter War 21 Oct 1919 AWMM
- Last rank
- —
Biographical information
- Leslie Andrew was educated at Ashhurst and Wanganui East schools, Wanganui District High School and Wanganui Collegiate School. He played cricket and rugby and worked for a solicitor from 1912-14 and at the head office of New Zealand Railways from 1914-15.
In 1918 Andrew married Bessie M. Ball, daughter of T. Ball, Brinsley, Notts., England. They had two daughters and two sons. Discharged from NZEF 21 October 1919. Joined permanent Army and served as Lieutenant Adjutant of Taranaki Rifles, 1920-23. Attached to Indian Army, 1927-29. Member of Coronation contingent, 1937.
Joined 2 NZEF as Lieutenant Colonel and served as Commanding Officer (CO) of 22 Battalion, January 1940 - February 1942. Promoted to Colonel as Officer Commanding (OC) of Wellington Fortress Garrison, November 1943. Member of NZ contingent to Victory Parade, London, 1946.
Attended Imperial Defence College, 1947-48.
Promoted to Brigadier, 1948.
Retired from service in 1952.
His medals are held by the National Army Museum, Waiouru, New Zealand AWMM
About death
- Death
- 8 Jan 1969 AWMM
Age 71 AWMM - Date of death
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- Age at death
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- Place of death
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- Cause of death
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- Death notes
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- Cemetery
- Old Levin Cemetery (Tiro Tiro Road), Corner Mako Mako and Tiro Tiro Road, Levin, New Zealand AWMM Returned Services Association Row 13 Plot 158 AWMM
- Cemetery name
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- Grave reference
- Block: RSA, Row: 13, Plot: 158Public - Susan - Researcher - 26 April 2025 - Horowhenua Council website - cemetery search
Find a Grave website - Obituary
- Obituary: VC Winner dies in Palmerston. (1969, February). Review.
Obituary: Won VC in France when 20. (1969, January 9). Auckland Star. AWMM - Memorial name
- Victoria Cross commemorative paving stone, National Memorial Aboretum, Staffordshire, EnglandPublic - Sarndra - Researcher - 29 November 2015 - personal visit
- Memorial reference
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Memorial
- Memorial name
- Dunedin, Victoria Cross winners' plaque, Queens Gardens, Dunedin, New Zealand AWMM
- Memorial Plaque and Obelisk, Warneton, Comines, BelgiumPublic - Jeremy - Direct descendant - 9 January 2025 - http://www.wo1.be/en/youwerethere/13738/commemoration-lance-corporal-leslie-wilton-andrew
Sources
- External links
- Military Personnel File
https://collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search/#/entity/aims-archive/R23523692
Further Reference - Stewart, H. (1921). The New Zealand Division 1916-1919 : a popular history based on official records. Auckland, N.Z.: Whitcombe and Tombs. Digital copy
http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-WH1-Fran.html
Sources Used - Ministry for Culture and Heritage, New Zealand History online. Dunedin RSA building, formerly site of the VC winners' plaque.
https://nzhistory.govt.nz/memorial/dunedin-rsa-war-memorial
Further Reference - Birkenhead (Auckland) Returned Services Association website. Victoria Cross.
http://www.birkenheadrsa.com/victoria-cross.html
Further Reference - Wikidata Entity
http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q6530599
Further Reference - 'Victory Parade Contingent: Three services sailing April 20' in the Gisborne Herald, 13 April, 1946.
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/HAWST19460413.2.103
Further Reference - 'Parading for Victory: Air Force Contingent' at the website of the Air Force Museum of New Zealand.
https://airforcemuseum.co.nz/blog/parading-for-victory-air-force-contingent/
Further Reference
- Military Personnel File
- References
- Macdonald, L. (1978). Passchendaele : the story of the third Battle of Ypres 1917. London : Penguin Books.
- Harper, G. (2000). Massacre at Passchendaele : the New Zealand story. Auckland, N.Z.: HarperCollins.
- Haigh, J., Polaschek, A. (Eds.). (1993). New Zealand and the Distinguished Service Order. Christchurch, N.Z.: Authors.
- Harper, G., & Richardson, C. (2006). In the face of the enemy: The complete history of the Victoria Cross and New Zealand. Auckland, N.Z.: HarperCollins NZ.
- Who's who in New Zealand (1951-1991). Wellington, N.Z. ; Auckland, N.Z.: Reed.
- The Register of the Victoria Cross. (1997). (3rd ed.). Cheltenham, England: This England.
- New Zealand Army Expeditionary Force. (1917). Nominal Rolls of New Zealand Expeditionary Force Volume II. Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
30: 5 - Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force. (1941). Nominal Roll Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force No. 2 (Embarkations to 30th June, 1940). Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
WW2 2: WW2 9 - Snelling, S. (1998). VCs of the First World War : Passchendaele 1917. Stroud, England: Sutton Publishing.
- RSA review: the official journal of the N.Z. Returned Services' Association
Photograph with other VC winners. (1929, November). N.Z.R.S.A. review, p. 5. - RSA review: the official journal of the N.Z. Returned Services' Association
Cool daring initiative. (1945). Review. - RSA review: the official journal of the N.Z. Returned Services' Association
Historic gathering of gallant Gentlemen [Photograph]. (1945, December). R.S.A. Review, cover page. - Harper, G., & Richardson, C. (2006). In the face of the enemy: The complete history of the Victoria Cross and New Zealand. Auckland, N.Z.: HarperCollins NZ.
p.107-110 - The Register of the Victoria Cross. (1997). (3rd ed.). Cheltenham, England: This England.
p. 15 - Beattie, P.J. & Pomeroy, M. (2013-2020). Onward : portraits of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (vols 1-5). Auckland, New Zealand: Fair Dinkum Publications
Vol. 1: Includes portrait - Henderson, J. (1958). 22 Battalion. Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Internal Affairs, War History Branch.
- McDonald, W. (2013). Honours and Awards to the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in the Great War, 1914-1918. (3rd ed.). Hamilton, N.Z.: Richard Stowers.
- Davin, D. (1953). Crete. Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Internal Affairs, War History Branch.
- Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force. (1950). Nominal Roll Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force No. 16 (Embarkations from 1st January, 1946 to 30th June, 1948). Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
- 'Victory Parade Contingent.' Gisborne Herald, vol. 73, no. 21996, 13 April 1946, p.4. Identified with assistance from the Kippenberger Research Centre, National Army Museum Te Mata Toa (2026).
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