TRIBUTES have been paid to a man who dedicated his life to his country and to the Cotswolds.

Maurice Charles Andrews MBE passed away on Tuesday, March 1 at Mill House Care Home, Chipping Campden, aged 92.

Daughter Christine Dalton said: "Maurice was a devoted husband, a wonderful father, a proud grandfather and also proud to come from the Cotswolds but, above all, he was a good, caring, gentle man."

Mr Andrews was the ninth child of eleven born to George and Mary Andrews (with another adopted) at Wells Gardens, Broadway on June 10, 1923.

His childhood was recorded in his book A Village Remembered which he wrote in the 1970s.

He went to Broadway School and left at 14 to become a grocer’s boy for the Midland Stores before joining Charles Steward’s Building firm as a clerk.

When the Second World War started he joined the Home Guard before enlisting in the RAF on 1941, aged 18.

He wanted to be a pilot but chronic colour blindness prevented it so he became a ‘Backroom Boy’ dealing with security issues.

In 1942 he was posted to India serving on the staff of South East Asia Command under Lord Louis Mountbatten and was proud to have had a conversation with him about Broadway.

The Indian experience left an impression on him for the rest of his life and was a considerable eye-opener for a young lad from a small Cotswold village.

He returned to the UK in 1945 and signed on for another year at the Air Ministry and promoted to Flight Sergeant.

Here he met a WAAF Corporal, Eira Wyn-Evans, and they were married in 1947 following demob.

Mr Andrews' first job on civvy street was as a production controller in Luton and then near Swansea where their first child was born.

The family returned to Broadway to set up their first real home in Sandscroft Avenue in 1948, where their second child was born a few years later.

Mr Andrews got a clerical job with the building firm of WA Cox in Evesham and then moved to the office of Gordon Russell’s before going to Arthur Parker’s building firm where he became director and secretary until 1957.

Maurice became self-employed as an accountant and secretary in the late 1950s before setting up two companies, Dunelm Estates and Dunelm Trading.

Mr Andrews was elected onto Broadway Parish Council in 1952, which he served on until 1963, and was also elected to Evesham Rural District Council in 1955.

A keen member of Broadway Cricket Club, he rose from teaboy in 1933 to chairman in 1960.

In 1963, ill-health and a wish for better education opportunities for his children led to a move to Eastbourne and in the 1970s returned to the Cotswolds and finally settled in Willersey.

Once retired, he became clerk of Willersey Parish Council in 1979 that began 33 unbroken years of service as clerk, councillor and chairman.

He also set up the Willersey Forum and was very proud that he had not missed a meeting until the very end.

Maurice also keenly supported Willersey Footlights and Wednesday Club.

He belonged to the British Legion, RAFA and was president of the Evesham Branch of Burma Star.

He continued his connection with CAB by helping to set up the Evesham branch. He was also village correspondent for the Evesham Journal.

Mr Andrews, along with Eira, attended many funerals of local people and ex-service personnel as he felt it so important to recognise the life of each person.

His daughter added: "He was greatly influenced by his mother Mary to help others as well as the extended family.

"She had not only raised a large family and taken in washing to help ends meet but had helped at births around Broadway and lay out those who died as well as helping other villagers in many other ways.

"Maurice wanted to help ‘ordinary folk’ and did this in many ways – offering advice, when sought, and applying for help from organisations were just two of them.

"All of this in total confidence and much remains unknown."

He received Maundy money from the Queen in 2003 at Gloucester Cathedral and went to two Garden Parties at the Palace.

The proudest day, however, came in 2007 when he received the MBE from Prince Charles.

In 2012, ill health forced him to curtail all activities though he maintained his interest in them.

He and Eira moved to Mill House Care Home in Chipping Campden at Christmas 2013 where they were wonderfully cared for until each passed away.

His funeral took place on Wednesday at St Peter's Church, Willersey.