A Machine Gunner's War: From Normandy to Victory with the 1st Infantry Division in World War II

by Ernest Albert Andy Andrews

A machine gunner chronicles his time on the frontlines of WW2 from D-Day to the Battle of the Bulge and the Wehrmacht’s last stand.

American machine gunner Ernest “Andy” Andrews arrived in the UK just before deploying to fight in D-Day. Struck by a bullet in Normandy, he was evacuated to England before returning to participate in the race across France. Andy’s squad defended a bunker in the Siegfried Line and fought its way through the Hurtgen Forest to take Hill 232. When the Germans attempted to retake the hill, Andy faced his toughest battle and suffered a shoulder wound.

Andy rejoined his company in time to fight in the Battle of the Bulge and the Rhine campaign, and in Germany's Harz Mountains, where the Wehrmacht was trying to organize a last stand. Andy's outfit ends the war fighting in Czechoslovakia, where Andy witnesses the German surrender.

Following occupation duty, Andy returned to the States in October 1945. The war shaped Andy's postwar life in countless ways, and in 1994, Andy made the first of three return visits to the European battlefields where he had fought. This vivid firsthand account takes the reader along from Normandy to victory with Andy and his machine-gun crew.

Genres: History, Military History, World War II, War

369 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 20, 2022

Reviews

[Sarah Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this at lunchtimes to my boys. I will forever be grateful that I did. It taught us about D-day but also about war and the unspeakable tragedies that accompany it from a Christian Soldiers perspective. His faith and trust in God are themes woven throughout the book. For older teens, as sex and women are spoken of, but always from the perspective that Andy has made a commitment to wait until marriage. His love for his fellow man, even though on opposite sides of a war, are quite evident.

[David Gramley · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Andy” Andrews has written an honest, insightful, thoughtful memoir of his extraordinary experiences in WW2. I was able to attend a presentation of this book, and mostly an introduction to Andy, in nearby Montreal, for which I am grateful. He is remarkable and so is this book.

I’ve read other firsthand accounts from WWII, notably Ernest Sledge’s The Old Breed. The insight they share is powerful. Whereas The Old Breed is from a Marine assigned to a mortar unit serving his country in the South Pacific, Andrew’s account is from an Army private assigned as a machine gunner in Europe. Both are frontline positions of great casualty rates. Their stories are similar but different, I believe Andrew’s account is more personal with his Christian faith woven into his daily thoughts. And he is able to tell stories of the small towns they liberated in France, Belgium, and Germany and the people he encountered. As Andy has noted, his battles were not individually headline stories. No matter. His story is that of many, and being able to share it so that the memory will be lasting in others, especially to pay tribute to those who gave their lives for the freedom of others, and it is a gift.

[Robert M. Roth MD · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent memoir

Truly a n amazing memoir of a World War II machine gunner who is part of the Normandy invasion and survives numerous battles, including the Hurtgen Forest and the Bulge.

Despite the horrors he witnessed, the deaths of his fellow soldiers, the amazing part is that he never loses his humanity. A devout Christian, he abides by his faith throughout the war while doing his best to help win the battles. Vividly portrayed is the day to day life of a soldier on the front lines.

The book goes into a lot of detail about his Army training, which I found very interesting as most memoirs tend to gloss over this phase. There is a nice description of his post war life as well.

[Jim Bentley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating, sobering and redemptive

This is a brutally honest account of front line warfare in WWII. Andrews faith gives redeeming value to the sacrifices made and tells a less common tale of integrity and hope in the middle of misery. The highly accurate timeline and details of troop movements can be tedious so I sped through some of that. It is a real pager turner otherwise.

[Dave Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Very Modest True American War Hero

A great account of an infantryman's war. The author was in every major campaign in the Northern European Theater. HiS vivid description of the daily misery of a combat infantryman is spot-on, having served in that same role a couple of decades later in a subsequent war.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another well told story of the life of one of the greatest generation that are becoming fewer and fewer everyday. A man true to his convictions even during some of the toughest battles during the European campaign in WWII must have made his family proud. It was also great to hear that all of his brothers returned from the war as well. An enjoyable read well worth the time investment.

[David Hymas · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Detailed summary of the author’s experience in World War II. Very detailed but lacks the broader narrative impact that the best of the era included (e.g., Helmet For My Pillow, With the Old Breed, Parachute Infantry). Still a worthwhile read and a unique perspective of a machine gunner using the old water-cooled .30 caliber machine gun of World War I vintage.

[Seth Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good and honest look at WW2 from a footsloggers point of view.

[Skoal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rate as 3.5

[Bob]

great book