War hero died in bid to save the wounded

A former Hipperholme war hero has been honoured at a special ceremony.
Commemoration of former headmaster of Hipperholme Grammar School, Captain Maynard Andrews, who died in the first world war.
Pictured are bursar Graeme Oliver, with relatives Brian Hall, Barbara Andrews, Kitty Hall and Barney Andrews.Commemoration of former headmaster of Hipperholme Grammar School, Captain Maynard Andrews, who died in the first world war.
Pictured are bursar Graeme Oliver, with relatives Brian Hall, Barbara Andrews, Kitty Hall and Barney Andrews.
Commemoration of former headmaster of Hipperholme Grammar School, Captain Maynard Andrews, who died in the first world war. Pictured are bursar Graeme Oliver, with relatives Brian Hall, Barbara Andrews, Kitty Hall and Barney Andrews.

Almost 100 years ago, Maynard Percy Andrews left his post as headmaster of Hipperholme Grammar School to serve his country in the First World War.

Tragically he was killed in action in Flanders in 1915 while rescuing his comrades from enemy fire.

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Family members, staff and governors from the school gathered for a celebratory lunch in honour of his memory.

Among them were his three grandchildren.

One of them, Maynard Hall, said they didn’t know a lot about him apart from the fact that he was killed in the war. “We didn’t know about all of this until we received a lovely letter setting out the details from the school,” he said.

“It was absolutely fascinating.

“Hipperholme was just a name to me but an amazing coincidence is that my brother’s daughter Fiona ended up doing her teaching practice here.”

Maynard travelled from Carlisle with his wife Joy. The 76-year-old said: “I am in awe of the work and inspired to try and update the family tree,” he said.

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Captain Andrews was appointed headmaster at Hipperholme in 1911. It was then that he joined the 1/4th Battalion Duke of Wellington’s Regiment (West Riding) in Halifax and was promoted to Lieutenant in October 1911 and to Captain in October 1914.

He was deployed to France on April 14, 1915 with former and then current pupils of the school.

While command of a company he was killed in Flanders, only four months into the war, while trying to bring his wounded men to safety.

He was described by a commanding officer as “one of the straightest, cleanest, and healthiest-minded men I have ever met”.

Letters and extracts from newspaper articles are on display at the school.