Pre Army History.

On Christmas eve 1946 the sound of a baby crying was heard in No. 23 Wordsworth Road, Swilly in Plymouth I had arrived born at home the youngest of five siblings .............

In 1949 my father left the dockyard at Devonport where he had worked since leaving the Royal Artillery in the 1930's and took a job as a maintenance fitter with a clay mining company on Dartmoor. We moved to a terrace of Clay workers cottages in the village of Wotter about twelve miles from Plymouth.
One of my earliest recollections is playing on a tricycle with Ray Jenkins who lived two doors down at number 5.

Dartmoor Cottages Wotter	Roger in the early 1950's

I went to school at Shaugh Prior CP School, a two roomed school in the next village. Senior school was Plympton Secondary Modern, about ten miles from Wotter.
As soon as I was old enough I joined the Army Cadets at the local Drill Hall in Plympton. From there it was but a small step to enlisting in the Colours on my fifteenth birthday.........

Post Army History.

On the 7th of march 1978 I walked out of Southwood Camp, Cove, Farnorough as a free man and bade farewell to army life. 23890635 Sergeant Andrews R was now Mr Roger Andrews (no tear in the corner of his eye this time, just a big smile on his face) ...............

I was set to take up a position with a company maintaining military vehicles for the Shah of Persia's army. but as luck would have it there was a revolution in Iran just before I was due to take up the post, ( they must have known I was comming ). The Shah was ousted ( the job kaput !).
I settled in Newton Abbot, Devon where I met Carolyn, and in March 1980 I became a married man with two stepsons who were quickly joined by a new sister and then a brother (all have now flown the nest).
After several jobs and redundancies, I joined Devon County Council and after sixteen years I am still with them.
In December 2005 I suffered a heart attack from which I made a good recovered (fingers crossed) and returned to work four months later. I am now a Highways Enforcement Officer within the County Traffic Managers Unit.

My Family May 2008	Roger June 2008