Marcus Ervine-Andrews

Harold Marcus Ervine-Andrews
Victoria Cross Medal
Born	29 July 1911 Keadue, County Cavan, Ireland
Died	30 March 1995 (aged 93) Cornwall, England
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Rank	Lieutenant Colonel
Unit	The East Lancashire Regiment
Battles/wars	World War II Battle of France
Awards	VC

Lieutenant Colonel Harold Marcus Ervine-Andrews VC (born 29 July 1911, Keadue, County Cavan, Ireland — died 30 March 1995) was an Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. He was educated by the Jesuits at Stonyhurst College, Lancashire and is one of seven recipients of the VC who were educated at Stonyhurst.

Details

He was 28 years old, and a captain in The East Lancashire Regiment, British Army during the Second World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC. During the night of 31 May/1 June 1940, near Dunkirk, France, the company commanded by Captain Ervine-Andrews was heavily outnumbered and under intense German fire. When the enemy attacked at dawn and crossed the Canal de Bergues, Ervine-Andrews, with volunteers from his company, rushed to a barn and from the roof shot 11 of the enemy with a rifle and many more with a Bren gun.

When the barn was shattered and alight, he sent the wounded to the rear and led the remaining eight men back, wading for over a mile in water up to their chins. The group of eight, including privates Jago and Singleton, traveled through rough enemy lines to the blood-soaked beaches and finally escaped back to England on 4 June 1940.^{[citation needed]}

Family

Harold Ervine-Andrews married Betty Torrie in 1939. Their marriage was dissolved in 1952. She died in 1975, thus permitting him to remarry, in 1981, to Margaret Gregory. Both unions were childless.

Post-WWII

Ervine-Andrews attempted to return home to his native County Cavan after the war, but was driven out by local members of the IRA and later settled in Cornwall.^{[citation needed]}

He later achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. The last Irish VC to die, he died on 30 March 1995, aged 83. His memorial is at Stonyhurst College, Clitheroe, Lancashire. His VC is held at Blackburn Museum.

References

Listed in order of publication year:

• The Register of the Victoria Cross (1981, 1988 and 1997)
• The Irish Sword (Brian Clark 1986)
• Ireland's VCs (Dept of Economic Development 1995)
• British VCs of World War 2 (John Laffin, 1997)
• Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
• Irish Winners of the Victoria Cross (Richard Doherty & David Truesdale, 2000)

External links

• Captain H.M. Ervine Andrews in The Art of War exhibition at the UK National Archives
• Grave and V.C. medal locations
• Marcus Ervine-Andrews at Find a Grave

Persondata
Name	Ervineandrews, Marcus
Alternative names	Ervineandrews, Harold Marcus
Short description	World War II war hero and VC medallist
Date of birth	29 July 1911
Place of birth	Keadue, County Cavan, Ireland
Date of death	30 March 1995
Place of death