Air Commodore Andrew James Wray Geddes CBE DSO LoM EM RAF was probably the only British officer who retired as a captain in the Royal Artillery and an Air Commodore in the Royal Air Force. As a boy he went to Wellington College and to the Royal Military Academy Woolwich to become a ‘Gunner’. However he was seconded to the RAF. This way he fulfilled his dream of becoming a pilot. His career saw him fly an array of aircraft from the Avro 405 biplane to the Mustang fighter, some 30 types.

He was Officer Commanding No.II (Army Co-operation) Squadron when war broke out in 1939 and the Squadron fought in the Blitzkrieg in May 1940. He flew the first secret sorties to France in a Lysander, calling it radio calibration flights. Geddes served in North Africa and was involved in all the preparations for D-Day as Air Commodore Plans of the 2nd Tactical Air Force. He flew over the Normandy beaches, bringing home the first pictures of the landings.

In 1945 General Eisenhower told him to prepare and negotiate food drops over starving West Netherlands. At Achterveld in Holland Geddes sat opposite the Germans and secured eleven drop zones to allow 5,000 flights, bringing some 12,000 tons of food to the Dutch in less than 10 days. When his wife Anstice became very ill, he retired and joined local Civil Defence. In 1985 Andrew Geddes was the Guest of Honour of the Dutch during the 40th anniversary of Operations Manna & Chowhound. He renewed his friendship with HRH Prince Bernard of the Netherlands and was handed the Dutch Erasmus Medal by Prime-Minister Lubbers of the Netherlands.

This book describes his life, using his private diaries and documents. The life and times of the ‘Winged Gunner’ gives a fascinating testimony of the career of a brave and loyal officer. Andrew Geddes passed away in 1988.

FOREWORD

Air Marshal Philip Sturley CB, MBE, BSc, FRAEs, RAF.

I feel honoured that Hans Onderwater has asked me to write a short introduction to this book. I have known Hans for many years, and was very impressed with the books he wrote about the history of my proud No.II (Army Co-operation) Squadron.

One of the key characters of the history of this famous Squadron was of course Andrew Geddes, whom I had the pleasure of hosting as Reviewing Officer at the 75th Anniversary of the Squadron at Laarbruch in Germany in 1987.

I again met Air Commodore Geddes in 1985 when I had the privilege of representing the Royal Air Force at the Operation Manna anniversary celebrations in Rotterdam and during the visit to Soestdijk Palace. Here the veterans of the food drops paraded, and were entertained by His Royal Highness Prince Bernhard. I was therefore delighted that Hans decided to record for posterity the life and times of this great man.

I commend this book to you, not only because of its value in describing in such moving terms the events of such an important era in the history of Europe, but because of the charming way that Hans blends historical points with personal anecdotes of events as they unfolded.

When you have finished this book, please pass it on to your children, as it is vitally important that the next generations know something of the courage, vision and fortitude of men like Andrew Geddes.

Philip Sturley, Air Marshal