William George Andrews
William George Andrews (1895-1951)
1952 Obituary [1]
"WILLIAM GEORGE ANDREWS, whose death in his fifty-sixth year occurred on 2nd May 1951, was elected a Member of the Institution of Automobile Engineers in 1923, and became a Member of the Institution in 1947. After serving his apprenticeship in the shops and drawing office of F. E. Morris, Enfield, automobile engineers, from 1909 to 1913, he found employment as a sales engineer. At the outbreak of war in 1914 he enlisted in the Royal Fusiliers and saw service in France. He was subsequently transferred to the Royal Flying Corps as technical officer and granted the rank of lieutenant. After acting as inspection engineer to British Petroleum, Ltd., he was appointed manager of the firm's road transport department with responsibility for the maintenance and running of 1,200 vehicles. On the amalgamation of British Petroleum, Ltd., with Shell Mex, Ltd., in 1932, he continued to act as manager. In this capacity his duties were greatly increased by the addition of another thousand vehicles under his control.
He relinquished this position in 1936 and became managing director of Airwork Engine Service, Ltd., Heston Airport, the title of the firm being subsequently changed to H. and W. G. Andrews, Ltd. On 1st December 1937 Mr. Andrews assumed additional responsibilities as managing director of Airwork General Trading Company, Ltd., the aircraft engineering subsidiary of Airwork, Ltd., the well-known aircraft operators and founders of Heston Airport. He resigned this post at the end of May 1940, and shortly afterwards became technical manager of the Harold Andrews Grinding Company, Ltd., Birmingham, which position he held until November 1946. During 1943 Mr. Andrews paid a short visit to the United States to investigate a new cylinder-lining process on behalf of certain British engineering firms. Other war-time directorships included that of O. F. Maclaren, Ltd., a small engineering company employed on priority contracts for the Ministry of Aircraft Production."