Evening star., 1943-05-05
Other High Officers
Feared Killed With
Andrews, Leonard
U. S. Chief in European
Theoter and Bishop Die
In Iceland Crash
Continued From First Page.)

AAA oCAdSG, Do llCWS "a CIlc GIdScQy
was received, newsmen recalled that
they had heard Bishop Leonard tell
the Bishop Of Londonderry how he
enjoyed the flying portions of his
trip. The Bishop ended a two-day
tour OF camps in Northern Ireland
last Friday and then left for Lon
don. Expressing qualification "at the
grand way the people OF Northern
Ireland have treated our boys" he
said he intended giving that report
to President Roosevelt. He was the
guest OF Brig. Gen. Edmond w. Hill,
commander in Northern Ireland.
Bishop Leonard was planning also
to visit troops in Africa and the
Middle East. His son said that he
had undertaken the mission at the
request of President Roosevelt, who
had suggested the Protestant
churches send a representative to
American soldiers overseas as had
the Catholics in the person of Arch
bishop Francis j. Spellman of New
York.
Gen. Andrews was the eighth, and
highest ranking, Army general OFF,
Ger to be lost since the start Of the
war.
He was a square-jawed, deeply
tanned and hard-fighting man who
was Enthusiastically known among
his men simply as THE General"
Fifty-nine years old, he had been
an advocate for years OF a big Army
air force and a champion of heavy
four -engined bombers. He was one
OF the few officers of his age and
rank to hold an active flying license.
Gen. Andrews told friends in the
United States who wanted him to
give up flying: Il don't want to be
one of those generals who die in
bed"
Gen. Andrews, who asserted my
first job is to increase ana intensity
the bombing of the enemy" when
he took over command of the Euro
pean theater from Gen. Dwight D.
Eisenhower February S, came to his
post in Britain after having COM
manded American troops in the
Middle East. He had been named
commander Of the American Carib-
bean defense area shortly after the
war broke out, and had organized
and commanded the Army's General
Headquarters Airforce from March,
1885, to March, 1899.
Gen. Andrews was bonn in Nash
vile, Tenn, February 3, 1884, and
was graduated from the Military
Academy In 1906 to begin his career
as a cavalryman. 1t was 1917 be-
fore the aviation enthusiast got into
flying with the Signal Corps, but he
came to be what one of his aides
called "the best one-man recon-
naissance unit I ever saw" because
of his habit of flying for himself to
observe the operations of his troops.
Commands at Rockwell Field,
Calf; Kelly Field, Tex, and Carl
strom Field, Fla, followed, then
tour of duty until August, 1920, with
the Army's War Plans Division.
He was ordered to Germany in
August, 1920. where he served as
air service officer to the American
forces.
Returned to the United States in
1923, Gen. Andrews served tours at
various aviation commands for the
next 10 years. In 1884, with the
rank of colonel. he was assigned to
the War Department general staff
in connection with the reorganiza-
ton of the Air Corps.
Once Reproved BY Roosevelt. j.,
Upon organization of the General
Headquarters Air Force in 1895, he
was placed in command as a tenn
! porary brigadier general Oater made
a major generaD and served until
March, 1899.
He risked the displeasure of SUI
periors during this period by not
only advocating a much larger air
force, but one separate from the
Army general command.
He also created a stir by telling
congressional committee in 1895 that
Caribbean bases must be kept under
surveillance and the air force must
be prepared to bomb them in the
event Of an invasion attempt, and
was reproved by President Roosevelt,
who said his views did not represent
those OF the country or the White
House
In 1899 he was returned to the
rank of colonel and sent to a post
in Texas.
When Gen. George c. Marshall
became chief of staff, Gen. Andrews
was recalled to Washington and
placed in charge of training and
field operations.
With development of the Euro
pean crisis, he was made COM
mander of the Panama Canal Air
Force, and later placed in command
Of all Caribbean defenses. In No
vember, 1912, he was made COM
mander of the United States Forces
IN the Middle East and, when Gen.
Eisenhower assumed command in
North Africa, was transferred to
England to replace Gen. Eisenhower
as commanding general in the
European theater of operations.
Decorated. Three Times.
Since the war began, he had re-
ceived three decorations-the Dis
tinguished Service Medal, awarded
last December 19: the Distinguished
Flying Cross, awarded 10 days
earlier, and the Panama Medal of
Merit.
One restraint on the young officers
early fying ambitions was Maj. Gen.