Andy McNeill's parents were both born in Scotland. His father, Hugh McNeill came from Whiteinch, a Glasgow neighbourhood, born to Irish parents. Hugh's father was a warehouseman and Hugh lived at home until he came to Toronto on March 3, 1912 to be a grocer. He roomed with his older brother Andrew. Andy's mother Margaret Carter was born in 1892 in Old Cumnock, Ayrshire and likely also came to Canada the same year as Hugh, as a domestic servant for a family that was travelling to Toronto. The grocery business didn't seem to work out for Hugh at this time because he became a waiter, the same job as his brother. Hugh and Margaret married on September 22, 1915 and their first son, William Craig, known as Craig, was born on July 25, 1916. Andy followed on June 1, 1918. At the time, the family was living on Balmuto Street, near Bay and Bloor. The next year, Hugh found a job as the caretaker of 147 Bloor Street West, a former grand house which now contained several medical offices. The job came with a flat in the building.

 

The family was doing well enough financially to travel to Scotland to visit family from June to August 1921. Craig likely began school the next month at Wellesley and Andy started his academic career there two years later. Several of Hugh's brothers had moved to Toronto. Hugh became the manager of a Dominion grocery store on St. Clair Avenue (his brother Andrew was also a manager for Dominion) and the family moved to Robina Avenue in 1930, then the next year they bought 613 Christie Street near St. Clair, just north of the Wychwood Barns. Andy spent his last two years travelling to Wellesley on the streetcar and graduated in the Class of 1932.

 

He began high school at Oakwood and left in 1934, part way through Grade 11. Andy enjoyed Geometry and Manual Training, especially woodworking. Maths and Latin he did not like. During school he did odd jobs and delivery work to earn some pocket money and he was a member of Oakwood's cadets. He was a keen badminton player and captained his inter-church badminton teams. When the Strathgowan Badminton Club opened in 1939 near Yonge and Lawrence, he became a member and shone at tournaments. He also played tennis in the Toronto and District men's doubles league and was a member of the Canadian Bank of Commerce's tennis club. Andy liked to ski and took an interest in studying plastics.

 

His first job out of high school was as a candy helper at Hunt's, a bakery chain store. He left there to become a machine operator at the Canadian National Carbon Company in August 1939. He was making $80 a month. The work slackened by October and he became a candy helper again, this time for Laura Secord's. His pay was $65 per month. In June 1940, his woodworking skills got him a job at De Havilland aircraft, He became a aircraft joiner along with his brother for $200 per month. From March until October 1941, Andy took a correspondence course in aeronautical engineering at the Canadian Institute of Science and Technology. When he began his RCAF paperwork in October, he had not completed the course. Andy entered the RCAF's Pre-Entry Educational Course at the University of Toronto Schools which was for those potential recruits who hadn't completed high school. He finished the course on February 3, 1942 and signed his enlistment papers on February 16.

 

In 1938, Hugh opened his own grocery store at 161 Eglinton Avenue East and the family lived upstairs. Craig had moved out when he married on May 24, 1941. The family's new address was an easy walk to Andy's badminton club where he'd entered competitive tournaments. He was given special permission from the RCAF to attend the Ontario championships in March 1942. There he advanced in the men's doubles and mixed doubles where he played with Barbara Gain, a young woman at the Strathgowan club whom he was dating.

 

He began his RCAF career at the Manning Depot at the Exhibition grounds. There he lived in the converted stalls of the Horse Building and went through basic training. Every month the men had an athletic field day and Andy won the doubles badminton tournament at the end of March. With the men living in close quarters, contagious illnesses were rife. Andy entered Riverdale Hospital on April 24 with scarlet fever. He was discharged almost a month later on May 21, with no ill effects and was given a week's sick leave.

 

A few weeks later, his brother Craig enlisted in the army. In July, Andy completed his basic training and on the 20th he began his initial training at the RCAF school on the old Hunt Club grounds near Avenue Road and Eglinton Avenue, not far from his parents' store. Here he learned basic theoretical courses in aviation and took tests to determine his position in an aircrew. He finished the course on September 11 with 88%. Andy had wished for the pilot stream and that is what he was assigned. His instructors wrote: “A clean cut, conscientious airman with a cheerful manner and fine sense of responsibility.” He was given an immediate leave until September 28.

 

From October 10, he took flying lessons at No. 9 Elementary Flying Training School in St. Catharines. On the evening of December 4, he married Barbara at Christ Church, Deer Park. She was a North Toronto girl who was the same age as Andy. Her father had a roofing and insulation company and she worked for him as a stenographer. Andy had leave from December 19 to January 10, 1943 and the couple took their honeymoon.

 

On January 11 Andy began the flying course at the Service Flying Training School at Dunnville, near Port Colborne on Lake Erie. He was given eight weeks of intermediate flying lessons, six weeks of advanced training and two weeks at a bombing and gunnery school. In late January, the Gains had received word that Barbara's 19 year old brother, Andrew MacFarlane Harrison Gain, had been killed in England. He was the pilot of a Wellington night bomber undertaking a training exercise when the starboard engine caught fire. He ordered his crew to abandon the aircraft, which they did, but Andrew was unable to escape. He was buried in England and a memorial service was held at Christ Church, Deer Park on January 31.

 

Craig, who had been posted to Kingston the previous September, had his embarkation leave from late January to mid-February in Toronto. He sailed for Britain on March 10 and landed a week later on March 17.

 

When Andy won his wings on April 30, he was given leave from May 1 to May 8. He was posted to the General Reconnaissance School in Summerside, Prince Edward Island. Barbara moved down with him, taking a room in a large house in the town. The course trained Andy in ocean patrol and rescue techniques. It ended on July 16 and the couple moved back to Toronto while Andy had his last leave before embarkation.

 

Andy reported to Halifax on July 31, but it appears there was a backlog of men being deployed to Britain. Finally in early October, Andy was sent by train to New York City to catch a troop ship. It left on October 8 and he arrived in Britain on October 16, reporting the next day to the Personnel Reception Centre in Bournemouth, England. He spent over a month there, awaiting his assignment. He finally reported to No. 18 Advanced Flying Unit for pilots at RAF Church Lawford near Rugby. It was essentially a refresher course as Andy hadn't been at the controls of a plane since July.

 

From February 2 to 7, 1944, Andy was briefly attached to a Beam Approach training unit in Honington, in the east of England, where he learned blind landing techniques. He had a short leave from March 22 to 25 and during his leaves he hopefully met up with his brother Craig, who was stationed in England or ventured up to Scotland to visit his parents' relatives.

 

Andy was sent to No. 30 Operational Training Unit (OTU) at RAF Hixon, 30 kilometres north of Birmingham, on March 28. There Andy trained on the Wellington night bomber, which carried five crew members including the pilot. Earlier in the war, it had been the main Allied night bomber, but it had been supplanted by the larger Lancaster. The men arriving at the OTU would meet at an informal social event and crew up there. Andy chose fellow Canadians Bryn Evans Roberts, a 19 year old from rural Alberta as his navigator, Edward Rodger Lambert, 26, from Victoriaville, Quebec as his bomb aimer, Leonard Schaff, 21, from Saskatchewan as his rear gunner and Australian Joseph William Powell, 20 years old, for his wireless operator. The crew practised working together on the Wellington. When their course ended in June, they were given a week's leave and reported to RAF Lindholme in Yorkshire, 40 kilometres northeast of Sheffield. It was here that Andy first took the controls of a Lancaster bomber, training for seven weeks. The Lancaster required two extra crew members, a flight engineer who sat next to the pilot and an additional gunner in the upper turret. RAF Flight Sergeant Albert Amos joined them as flight engineer. He had already flown several operational flights. Canadian Harold Scott became their new gunner. The Lancaster, a four engine heavy bomber, was capable of carrying a 6500 kilogram bomb load.