LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant George Stewart ANDREWS
Service No: 6694
Born: Allora QLD, 25 December 1914
Enlisted in the RAAF: 18 December 1939
Unit: 435th Bomber Squadron (USAAF)
Died: Air Operations: (435th Bomber Squadron Flying Fortress aircraft 41-2656), New Guinea area, 14 August 1942, Aged 27 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Harold and Louisa Annie Andrews, of Brisbane, Queensland
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 9, Port Moresby Memorial, PNG
Remembered: Panel 134, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 14 August 1942, Fortress 41-2656 departed from Port Moresby at 0620 hours to carry out a lone patrol over the New Guinea area. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. The RAAF search organization had kept a persistent lookout for the missing aircraft but as no information had been obtained, it is presumed that there were no survivors.
The crew members of 41-2656 were:
Sergeant George Stewart Andrews (6694) (Co-Pilot)
Private David B Beattie (16039053) (USAAF) (Gunner)
First Lieutenant Wilson Luther Cook (USAAF) (O-417007) (Pilot)
First Lieutenant Joseph Ralph Cunningham (O-433008) (USAAF) (Bombardier)
Staff Sergeant John J Dunbar (6576420) (USAAF) (Assistant Engineer)
Corporal Charles Max Hartman (6583190) (USAAF) (Assistant Radio Operator)
Technical Sergeant Irving Wenman McMichael (6580398) (USAAF) (Radio Operator)
Second Lieutenant Hubert S Mobley (O-441131) (USAAF) (Navigator)
Corporal Richard K Pastor (12007946) (USAAF) (Gunner)
Staff Sergeant Elwyn Owen Rahier (656980) (USAAF) (Engineer)
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 163/87/247
PacificWrecks.com Website