Ross and Kathy Callaghan's website

Eric and Joyce Andersen 

Kathy's parents, Eric and Joyce Andersen, met in London during the Second World War.  Eric was then in the New Zealand Army and Joyce in the British Army.  Eric was in the NZEF 11th Forestry Company.  He joined the army in March 1940 where after initial training he was sent to England. There his company felled trees for anti-tank barriers along the coast, based in Cirencester in Gloucestershire. Eventually most of the company was sent to Italy, but Eric was posted to London in 1943 to work in the Servicemen's Club. He was also a fire-watcher working for the Westminster Fire Brigade. In London much of Eric's socialising was done at New Zealand Servicemen's Club and it was there that he met Joyce (Kathy's Mum).  Eric talked about bomb raids and losing friends but not much more than that.  He was obviously affected by what he saw and he expressed that in poetry and in drawing.

Eric and Joyce married on the 7th September 1943. Eric returned to New Zealand in June 1944, via Egypt, leaving a month before Eric and Joyce's first daughter, Patsy, was born. He arrived in New Zealand in September 1944 and was officially discharged from the New Zealand Army on the 19th December 1944.

Joyce was left in England, and Patsy was born in Tonbridge, Kent. Joyce and Patsy got a place on board the Rimutaka which was traveling to Sydney carrying the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester as the Duke was to serve as the Governor General of Australia. A flotilla accompanied them all the way to Sydney and the trip took eight and a half weeks. This was dangerous as the war was still on as was seen when a U boat was destroyed while targeting the Rimutaka.  

Eric and Joyce settled in Hamilton and had six children: Patsy (Burton); Susan (Andersen); Mike (Andersen); Karen (Dawson); John (Andersen), and Kathy (Callaghan).  See The Andersen family

In 2024, DNA evidence emerged which proved conclusively that Eric fathered a child while he was in Cirencester. The child, Graham William Horton was born on 27 August 1942; was put up for adoption, and was adopted by Ivy and Reginald Horton. On the original birth certificate Graham's birth parents are named as William Thomas Carter and Dora Irene Maine Carter. William Thomas Carter was serving overseas at the time and the DNA showed he had no genetic link to his 'son' Graham. The DNA, however, clearly showed that Eric Andersen was Graham's father and that Dora Carter was his mother. Photographs of Eric and Graeme have a strong family resemblance!  It is highly likely that Eric never knew he had fathered Graham Horton.

Kathy has done extensive research into the family history of her parents:

Our Shetland family tells the story of the Sandison, Porteous, Tulloch, Inkster and Isbester ancestors of Eric Andersen

The life and family of Jack and Nell Jones tells the story of Joyce Andersen's parents, Jack and Nell Jones, and their descendants.

The Askew and Orr ancestors of Eleanor Orr Jones (nee Askew) describes the ancestors on the Askew and Orr sides of Eleanor Orr Jones (known as Nell) - Joyce Andersen's mother. 

Louisa Williams - her life and family tells the story of Louisa Williams, Kathy's great-grandmother. Louisa married Andrew Arthur Sandison and their daughter Andrina (Rene) was Kathy's grandmother.

For more details about Kathy's grandparents see Our grandparents. (Scroll down past Ross's grandparents to get to Kathy's grandparents).

You can listen to interviews with Eric and Joyce  by clicking on the links below, then clicking 'Download' on the page that opens up. 

Eric Andersen   Kathy's father gave a detailed overview of his life in this interview. It was recorded in 1987 not long before Eric died.  Click here to read a transcript of this interview.

Joyce Andersen  We also recorded Kathy's mother, Joyce, in 1987. Joyce describes her life in England and New Zealand.  Click here to read a transcript of this interview. 

You can also watch Kathy chatting with her mother in this video. It was made in 1989.  Joyce Andersen 1989

                    Joyce with Debbie 1976                              Joyce and and Eric with Sarah and Debbie, 1979