George Findlay Andrew

George Findlay Andrew OBE (1887–1971) was a British Protestant missionary, author, humanitarian worker, and authority on Muslim communities in north-west China. A missionary of the China Inland Mission, he spent much of his life in Gansu Province and became known for his work among Hui Muslims, his leadership in disaster relief operations, and his publications on Islam in China. He also played a supporting role in the early archaeological investigations that led to the identification of the Majiayao culture (previously called Gansu Yangshao culture).

Early life and missionary career Andrew was born in Guiyang, Guizhou, China, to parents serving with the China Inland Mission (CIM). He received his early education at the mission school in Chefoo (now Yantai) before continuing his studies in England. In 1908, he returned to China as a missionary and was assigned to Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu Province. For this work he received a thank you letter from the amateur archaeologist and Swedish crown prince Gustaf Adolf (later King Gustaf VI Adolf).

Business and wartime service In 1933 Andrew joined Butterfield & Swire, becoming head of the company's Department of Chinese Affairs. During the Second World War he served as a Sino-British liaison officer attached to the British Special Operations Executive (SOE) in Chongqing.

Later life Following the establishment of the People's Republic of China, Andrew left China and eventually settled in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. He died there in 1971.

Selected works

The Crescent in North-West China (1921)