John Arthur Andrews was born on 29 June 1886 in Deptford, Kent (now Greater London), the son of George Ambrose Charles Andrews (1861-1907) and Eliza Frances Andrews née Atkins (b.1862). His birth was registered in the 3rd quarter of 1886 in the Greenwich registration district, Kent (now Greater London). On 14 July 1896 he was baptised at St Paul's Church, Deptford, Kent (now Greater London) where the baptismal register shows the family were living at 2 Clyde Street, Deptford and that his father was a painter.
In the 1891 census he is shown as aged 4 years living in three rooms at 7 Glenville Grove, Deptford, London, with his parents and two elder brothers: George Andrews (b.1883) and Charles Andrews (b.1884), His father was still described as a painter.
On 1 January 1906 he married Lilian Eliza Clara Ellary (1888-1954) at St Mary Magdalene Church, Southwark, London, where the in the marriage register he is shown as a bachelor and a labourer living at 5 Smyrk's Road, Southwark, whilst his wife was shown as a spinster living at the same address. She was the daughter of John William James Ellary (1866-1938) a hammersman (a blacksmith's striker). They had five children: John Frederick Ambrose Andrews (1906-1985); Lilian Andrews (1907-1983); Elizabeth Andrews (1909-1978); Ethel Frances Andrews (1911-1991) and Edmund H. Andrews (1915-1915).
The 1911 census return form shows him as a Pickford's carman boarding with his wife and their three children in the 6 roomed property at 3 Ardmere Road, Lewisham, London, the home of Edward John Cartwright, his wife and their six children.
On 2 February 1915 he enlisted as a Rifleman in the 5th Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps, service number R/10138, in Deptford, giving his occupation as a blacksmith hammerman. He entered France on 30 June 1915 but contracted malaria whilst in Salonika, (now Thessaloniki) in the northern Greek region of Macedonia. Following his discharge on 1 April 1919 he was awarded the 1914-1915 Star, the British War Medal 1914-1918 and the Victory Medal.
Electoral registers in 1937 show him and his wife listed at 1 Junction Road, Deptford but in the 1939 England Wales Register he is described as employed at the Ammunition Filling Shop, Woolwich Arsenal, and residing at 11 Dittisham Road, London, SE9, with his wife.
He was killed, aged 58 years, as result of enemy action when a German V1 Flying Bomb fell on the Royal Victoria Yard on 16 August 1944 killing seven and injuring 74 people. He was buried on 22 August 1944 in Greenwich. He is shown as Andrews J A on the Royal Victoria Yard war memorial that is located at The Colonnade, Grove Street, London, SE8 and as Andrews, John Arthur on the Civilian War Dead Roll of Honour 1939-1945 that is kept just outside the entrance to St George's Chapel at the west end of Westminster Abbey He is also commemorated on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's website and on the Lewisham War Memorials website.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
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