Benedict Anthony Andrew was born in Maryland, on May 24, 1925. His hometown was Centreville, Queen Anne's County, Maryland. He completed 4 years of high school, and worked in a semiskilled occupation in the building of aircraft. He was single, without dependents, when he enlisted in the U.S. Army at Baltimore, Maryland, on July 20, 1943.

After training, he was assigned as flight engineer and top turret gunner on the heavy bomber crew off Second Lieutenant William J. Waldron. The Waldron crew completed B-17 combat crew training, and was assigned to the 836th Bomb Squadron of the 487th Bomb Group (Heavy) at Lavenham, Suffolk, England. The crew arrived at Lavenham on October 19, 1944, and became part of the 8th U.S. Army Air Force in Europe.

S/Sgt Andrew and five of his crew mates were killed in action on December 24, 1944 when their aircraft, B-17G 43-38926, was shot down by German fighters south of Liege, Belgium. Three men were blown clear and survived when the aircraft exploded in the air. The B-17 crashed near Rouvreux, Belgium, about 15 miles south of Liege.

After the war, S/Sgt Andrew's remains were returned to the United States and reinterred at Spring Hill Cemetery in Easton, Talbot County, Maryland.

B-17G 43-38926 crew:
• Waldron, William J – 2/Lt – Pilot – Safe
• Eshleman, Oscar F – 2/Lt – Copilot – KIA
• Shuster, Joseph S – F/O – Navigator – KIA
• Neu, Russell C – 2/Lt – Bombardier – Safe
• Andrew, Benedict A – S/Sgt – Engineer – KIA
• Ferenchak, George J – S/Sgt – Radio operator – KIA
• Baganz, Reuben F – S/Sgt – Ball turret gunner – KIA
• Isley, Eugene S – S/Sgt – Waist gunner – Safe
• Naughton, James P – S/Sgt – Tail gunner – KIA

Source of information: Paul Webber, www.findagrave.com