A HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT COLLECTION OF PAPERS AND MEDALS

A HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT COLLECTION OF PAPERS AND MEDALS TO A SECOND WORLD WAR BRITISH AGENT KILLED IN YUGOSLAVIA A fascinating and historically significant group of medals and paperwork to LAC Clifford John Andrews RAF who was killed whilst on route to the drop zone as an agent to be parachuted into Yugoslavia. The Story of the Cinderella front and the later established Balkan Air Force makes an interesting study, planned to supply materials and equipment, along with agents, to the Yugoslavian Partisans under Tito. By June 1944 the multinational Balkan Air Force was operating from Italy, dropping supplies and SOE agents into Yugoslavia and were collectively known as the ' Carpetbaggers' Operations were conducted using numerous aircraft types. All painted black and with the crews trained in low-level night flying. Although successful, it was decided to parachute agents into the country to help construct landing grounds to allow increased operations. To this end, a technical advisor and a wireless operator were needed on the ground. On the night of 23rd December 1944, an all-black B24 liberator, "Lady Mary ", of the 2641 special group, 885 Squadron, took off from Brindisi in Italy on a Carpetbagger mission to Yugoslavia. On board were LAC C J Andrews, a wireless operator and FLT/LT J W Chirnside, both to be parachuted into the country and described in allied forces Special Duties Roll of Honour as "Two agents of the Balkan Air Force" Presumably flying low level and in mountainous terrain, the Liberator later crashed with the loss of all nice USAAF crew, along with the RAF agents Andrews and Chirnside. Although the RAF agents were buried in Belgrade War Cemetery, the crew with the exception of one, are listed MIA. Without doubt, the associated original paperwork which clearly shows his role as an agent are of great importance. A letter from the Air Ministry Casualty Branch dated 5th January 1945 surprisingly states that he was; Engaged on a Special mission", whilst an endorsement in the back of his Pay Book is stamped on behalf of the Chief Parachute Instructor at 4 P.T.S 9 (then at Ranmal David near Nazareth)confirms he passed the parachute training course and details the jumps. No less fascinating is the slip from the Balkans Air Force Headquarters which shows his issue of Sten Gun 48491. An incredibly rare and perhaps unique collection to a British Agent killed in action, accompanied by a large amount of research material.