Albert Louis Andrews

This story and photos are shared by the Trust with kind permission from Mavis Williams, Researcher

Albert Louis Andrews was born Albert Lewis (sic) Badger, the son of Ellen Rebecca Badger, in the Salvation Army Nursing Home at 16, Rectory Road, London N.16. on 26 March 1921. Ellen was born in London but a few month after Albert's birth the census of June 1921 records that she was single and working as a Shoe Hand at Stead & Simpson Boot Factory, Daventry, Northamptonshire.

In 1928 she married Edward Joseph Andrews in Daventry but the marriage was not a happy one. The Northampton Chronicle and Echo, dated the 9th October 1930, published a notice from the Daventry Police Court stating: ‘Maintenance – Edward Jos. Andrews, Recreation Hotel, Colchester, was summoned by his wife, Ellen Rebecca Andrews, who sought a Maintenance Order – Defendant did not appear. Mrs Andrews said she last saw her husband at Whitsuntide. He had sent her money amounting to 10s. per week. She had a boy aged nine. An order for 15s. per week was made.’

An article in the Rugby Advertiser, dated the 10th October 1930 gives a bit more detail: Daventry Borough Court, Matrimonial Cases – Tuesday – Before Capt. G.W. Stopford (Mayor) and Alderman I.H. Johnson. MUST MAINTAIN WIFE – Ellen Rebecca Andrews, 1, Drayton Place, Daventry, applied for a Maintenance order against Edward Joseph Andrews.
Mrs. Andrews said her husband had been away from her since a week before Whitsun, and during that period he sent odd sums of about 10s per week. She had a nine-year-old son to keep, and 10s. per week was not enough. Andrews was ordered to pay 15s. per week.

Sadly, the marriage would end in tragedy as the Daily News London of 9th February 1931 reports.

"CORONER REBUKES HUSBAND – A Daventry Labourer was told by Mr. C.H. Davis, the Mid-Northamptonshire coroner, on Saturday that he would have to have his wife’s death on his conscience for the rest of his life.
The wife, Ellen Rebecca Andrews, was found drowned in the old reservoir at Daventry. To a magistrate Mrs. Andrews wrote that her husband had made her life a misery.
Recording a verdict of "Suicide during temporary insanity," the coroner quoted one of Mrs. Andrews’s letters in which she wrote: "I am doing it for my husband’s sake. He is always telling me he wants to get rid of me."
“You are mean and contemptible. I cannot call you a man,” said Mr. Davis to the husband, Edward James(sic) Andrews."

I do not know what happened to Albert immediately after his mother’s death but he was adopted by the Billington family who lived at 70 Brook Street, Daventry. He found employment as a Boy Messenger at Daventry Post Office from April 1935 and later was appointed Sorting Clerk and Telegraphist at Daventry in September 1939.

Albert was to suffer a further loss in 1937 when a tragic accident killed his friend, Rex Clifford, age 17. The Northampton Mercury, dated the 23rd of July 1937, reported on the proceedings of the inquest at which Albert was called as a witness.

Albert Louis Andrews, 16, telegraph messenger, 70, Brook Street, Daventry, said that at about 7pm., on May 20, he went with Clifford to the recreation ground, where there was a swing call 'the big jazz.' When they got there, two of their friends were on the 'Jazz.' When they had been on about five minutes, Clifford complained that he was slipping. Witness advised him to get off, but he said he was quite all right, and would like to stay on.
He fell, however, and the iron step under the swing on which he had been standing hit him in the back. Witness thought that the first time the swing came down it hit Clifford on the thigh and the second time in the back. He did not know if it hit Clifford’s head or not. Witness assisted Clifford to Dr. Moser’s surgery.

Rex's father also gave evidence: "He was taken home and was attended by Dr. Moser for 3 weeks, but on Tuesday 13th of July, he became worse, and his father sent again to the doctor. The doctor thought the boy had a chill and ordered him home to bed. The following day the boy’s eye became bad, and that afternoon the doctor conveyed him to hospital." Rex would die in hospital a few days later.

Albert was a bit of a dare devil I think as the Rugby Advertiser, dated the 22nd of March 1940, reported from the Daventry Divisional Court :- ‘HOLDING ON TO MOTOR LORRY – For riding a bicycle and holding on to a motor lorry for the purpose of being towed, at Dodford, on February 28th, Albert Louis Andrews, 70, Brook Street, Daventry, sorting clerk, was fined 7/-. – P.C. Rogers stated the facts.’

Albert joined the Royal Air Force in July 1940 and in 1943 he married Hilda M. Nixon. They may have met through work as the 1939 Register records that she was working at the Northampton Telephone Exchange as a Telegraphist for the G.P.O.

In 1944 Albert was posted to 42 Operational Training Unit, Royal Air Force and on 6th June he was a crew member on Albemarle P1442.  Their mission was to drop 'window', strips of aluminium foil deployed to confuse German radar, as part of the Operation Bodyguard deception operations on D-Day. Their aircraft is believed to have crashed near Caen but it was never found and he was reported missing in action.

For over a year his family did not know what had happened to him but an article in the Northampton Mercury of 22nd June 1945, reported that his death had finally been officially confirmed to them "due to the lapse of time and the absence of any further news".