John Oliver Andrews

His most significant victory was over German ace Stefan Kirmaier, although he also enjoyed some success against Max Immelmann and Manfred von Richthofen.

He qualified as a pilot on 15 October 1915, earning Royal Aero Club certificate number 1924 at Le Crotoy, France; on the 21st, he was officially appointed a flying officer (Observer).

[1][2] On 27 April 1916, during one of his early flights in a DH.2, he drove off German ace Max Immelmann, holing his Fokker Eindecker in the process.

[3] A week later, Andrews was appointed a Flight Commander with a concomitant promotion to temporary captain.

Andrews then scored sporadically until he tallied his seventh win—and his last with 24 Squadron—on 22 November 1916 when he shot down German double ace Stefan Kirmaier, Staffelführer of Jasta 2.

The following day he was one of the combatants in the dogfight in which Manfred von Richthofen downed Andrews' CO, Major Lanoe Hawker.

By now, he had destroyed eight enemy airplanes (including one shared with Lieutenant Robert Saundby), driven down three others out of control, as well as killed Kirmaier and captured his Albatros D.II.

On 1 April 1918, the first day of the brand new Royal Air Force, Andrews was promoted to Captain.

[1] Andrews led 221 Squadron in operations supporting the Russian White Army in their counter-revolution against the Bolsheviks in 1919.

[6] On 1 August 1919 he was granted a permanent commission as a flight lieutenant in the Royal Air Force.

[7] After a further spell of foreign service in India he returned to Britain to begin attendance at Cambridge University on 1 September 1920.

[1] Andrews was promoted to air commodore on 1 September 1939, coincident with the beginning of the Second World War.

On 18 November 1940 he was assigned as Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Operational Requirements and Tactics).