World War II Honoree

Gilbert F. Andrews

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Blackstone, Virginia

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

Rank: Staff Sergeant. Inducted into the United States Army June 20, 1942 at Richmond, Virginia. Upon his graduation from recruit training, he was designated to attend the Flight Aviation Training Program. He served as a B-17 ‘Flying-Fortress’ Bomber Ball Turret Gunner, assigned to the 401st Bomber Squadron, 91st Bomber Group, an element of the U.S. 8th Air Force ‘Mighty Eighth’ Army Air Forces. His unit was based at the Bassingbourn Royal Air Force Station Location: Cambridgeshire, England. Saturday, April 17, 1943 he was killed in action, when his bomber was shot down by German Fighters, crashing near Hassel, Germany. His Bomber group was participating in a bomb run to the ball bearing factory Location: Schweinfurt, Germany. Personnel from a Graves Registration Company buried him in the Neuville-en-Condroz Battlefield Cemetery, Liege, Belgium. In the post-war era, this Airman’s family requested that he be buried with Military Honors at Ardennes American Cemetery Location: Neupre (Neuville-en-Condroz), Belgium. In his Memory and Honor, a cenotaph memorial has been placed at the Lakeview Cemetery Blackstone, Virginia. This American Patriot received the following decorations posthumously: Air Medal and the Purple Heart. The Air Medal was awarded to the Sergeant for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight, and the Purple Heart for his Heroism and ultimate sacrifice.