He served the German Empire first as an artilleryman, then as an aerial observer for artillery, as a fighter pilot, and finally as the Staffelführer of a fighter squadron.
Andrews then scored sporadically until he tallied his seventh win—and his last with 24 Squadron—on 22 November 1916 when he shot down German double ace Stefan Kirmaier, Staffelführer of Jasta 2.
The Staffelführer in turn answered to a local SS-Gauführer, or district leader, who answered to the national leader of the SS, known as the Reichsführer-SS.