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Dandrew Winston Fleming

Name:
Winston Fleming Dandrew
Rank:
Sergeant
Serial Number:
32853196
Unit:
727th Bomb Squadron (Heavy), 451st Bomb Group
Date of Death:
1944-08-02
State:
New York
Cemetery:
Rhone American Cemetery, Draguignan, France
Plot:
A
Row:
5
Grave:
18
Decoration:
Purple Heart
Comments:

Sgt Winston Fleming Dandrew, photographer on board the B-24H Liberator “Patsy Jack”, took off from Casteluccio, Italy on a bombing mission over the Pontet oil refinery. His job was to capture the targets before, during, and after the bombing. He never knew any of the crews he served with, as they changed with every flight. One of the plane’s engines caught fire before even crossing the French coastline. The crew decided to press on, successfully dropping their bombs over the target despite heavy 155mm AA fire that further damages the plane. Due to the aggravated state of the engine, they aimed for Corsica, but had to turn towards the Massif Central 30km from the coast as the plane was not going to make it. Hoping to hide in the dense forests of central France the crew bailed out once they reached the Vivarais Mountains. However, the pilot stayed at the controls and rigged them before bailing out so as to not have the plane crash down into one of the isolated villages in their path. It was close. The jury-rigged strap snapped and the plane cleared the Setoux village by a mere 30m and crashed a kilometer away. Once on the ground, the crew found refuge on the top floor of the Vanosc boys’ school with the 13 US parachutists of the “Betsy” command before escaping back to the UK. Dandrew’s fate was different. Witnessed by Sgts Mehl and Dow, his parachute caught fire (or never opened, accounts vary), sending him plummeting to his death near the town of Saint Julien Vocance. Sgt Mehl dug his grave on August 4th. He was buried by the town clergy. The crew of the “Patsy Jack” carried him and a flock of people from all the surrounding villages attended the ceremony.