Born c.1833 at Kingsclere, Hampshire, and christened there on the 13th of January 1833, the son of William Andrews and his wife, Lucy (nee Sprout.)
Enlisted at Aylesbury on the 28th of April 1846.
Age: 23.
Height: 5' 7".
Trade: Miller.
Appearance: Fresh complexion. Grey eyes. Lt. brown hair.
From Private to Corporal: 25th of November 1853.
Corporal to Sergeant: 1st of December 1855.
Returned to England on the 15th of December 1855.
Discharged, "with right of registry for a deferred pension on his reaching the age of 50 years", from Cahir on the 19th of December 1860.
Served 14 years 236 days.
In Turkey and the Crimea: 1 year 10 months.
Conduct: "That of a good soldier."
In possession of one Good Conduct badge when promoted.
Aged 32 years 2 months,
To live, c/o. "The Ship Inn", Kingsclere, Hants.
His documents in WO/131/1 give the date of his being eligible to receive the deferred pension of 6d. per day as from the 29th of October 1872, but no positive proof can yet (1986) be found if he survived to receive it.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman and Sebastopol.
Awarded the French War Medal. The citation for this stated:
"Sergeant John Andrews — Gallant and distinguished conduct in the Charge of the Light Brigade on the 25th of October 1854. Served during the whole of the campaign in 1854-55. Present at the battles of the Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman, Tractir and the Expedition to Eupatoria in October of 1855."
Wendy Leahy, Shadows of Time website: 4th Light Dragoons Personal Records A.