Andrew James Wray Geddes
Andrew James Wray Geddes | |
---|---|
Born | Commander of the Legion of Merit (United States) | 31 July 1906
Early life
Geddes was born in Belgaum, India,[2] the son of Major Malcolm Henry Burdett Geddes, an Indian Army officer. He soon returned to England with his mother and much later graduated from the Royal Military Academy in Woolwich and joined the Royal Artillery in 1926.
Military career
Geddes began his military career in the
In 1932, Geddes rejoined the Royal Artillery but was again seconded to the RAF in 1935, this time as a
Geddes had an active role in the planning of Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of Normandy in June 1944. Shortly after the landing on 6 June 1944, Geddes flew a Mustang over the invasion beaches taking some of the first pictures of the invasion.[3]
Although Geddes retained his army commission (reaching the rank of major in 1943), he spent all of the Second World War in the RAF. He finally fully transferred to the RAF in 1945.
Geddes was appointed an
Operation Manna
From 1 April 1943 until
The first food drops began on 29 April 1945, even though no formal treaty had been signed between the Allies and Germans. That day over 240 Lancasters flew at low level to drop 535 tons of food at six designated places in the west of the Netherlands agreed with Germans.
In case the Allies were trying to use the drop for military purposes (for example dropping paratroopers or arms for partisans), the Germans sent anti-aircraft guns to four of the locations. Local Dutch organising committees then set up a plan to collect the air drops and distribute the food.[7]
Post military career
Geddes retired from the RAF on 29 September 1954 with the rank of air commodore and worked in local government.
The road "Air Commodore Geddespad" in Rotterdam was named after him.
References
- ^ a b "Air Commodore A J W Geddes". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
- ^ India, Select Births and Baptisms, 1786–1947
- ^ "RAF Marham – II (AC) Squadron History – WWII". Raf.mod.uk. 28 February 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
- ^ "No. 36051". The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 June 1943. p. 2678.
- ^ "No. 37300". The London Gazette (Supplement). 5 October 1945. p. 4957.
- ^ "No. 37407". The London Gazette. 28 December 1945. p. 33.
- ^ "Operation 'Manna'". Tangmere Museum. April 2009. Retrieved 16 August 2013.