[1][2] The son of a civil servant, Andoe joined the Royal Navy in 1855 and actively participated in the bombardment of Sveaborg the same year.

Promoted to lieutenant in 1861, he was engaged in the suppression of the slave trade on the east coast of Africa from 1863 to 1867 as acting commander of HMS Vigilant.

In 1869, he received the Royal Humane Society's Bronze Medal for jumping into the River Plate off Montevideo to save a boy belonging to HMS Pylades.

[1] Promoted to commander in 1872 and captain in 1878, he served as principal transport officer in Natal during the First Boer War.

[1] He was principal transport officer in Trinkitat and Sudan during the military operations there in February and March 1884, for which he was mentioned in despatches and appointed a CB; he later received a captain's good service pension.