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Lt. George Leslie Drewry VC.
Royal Navy HM Trawler William Jackson. Royal Naval Reserve
from:Forest Gate, London
(d.2nd Aug 1918)
Lt George Leslie Drewry served in the Royal Navy during WW1. He was killed in action on the 2nd August 1918, Age: 23 and is buried in in the City of London Cemetery. He was the son of Thomas and Mary Drewry, of 58, Claremont Rd., Forest Gate.
An extract from The London Gazette, No. 29264, dated 13th Aug., 1915, records the following:- "Assisted Commander Unwin at the work of securing the lighters under heavy rifle and maxim fire. He was wounded in the head, but continued his work and twice subsequently attempted to swim from lighter to lighter with a line."
George Drewry was born on 3rd November 1894, the son of Thomas and Mary Drewry, at 53 Haslemere (now Kitchener) Road, Forest Gate. The family later moved to 15 Hampton Road, Forest Gate, and then to 58 Claremont Road, Forest Gate. George attended Merchant Taylors' School in the City of London. He was 20 years old and serving as a Midshipman in the Royal Naval Reserve on HMS Hussar when he won his Victoria Cross during the Gallipoli landings on 25 April 1915. Under the guidance of Commander Unwin, the SS River Clyde, an old collier, was prepared for landing thousands of troops on 'V' Beach, Seddul Bahr, Gallipoli. Large holes were cut in the ship's side level with the decks, and sloping gangways suspended by wire hawsers were run out so that the men could rush down them as soon as the ship touched the ground. Barges had been made fast to the sides of the steamer so that a floating bridge could be formed from them if the River Clyde grounded too far from the beach. Alongside were five 'tows' of five boats each, packed with men of the Dublin Fusiliers, who were to land first and cover the disembarkation of the troops.
The open boats and River Clyde touched ground almost at the same moment and no sooner had the first of them grated on the bottom than a terrific fire was opened from the whole of the surrounding hills that dominated the beach. For a considerable distance to seaward the sea bed had been strewn with barbed wire and as the Dublin Fusiliers leapt into the water they found themselves entangled in the wire and were shot down where they stood. The open boats were held fast and their naval crews were wiped out. As the River Clyde grounded, the barges that were to form the bridge were run out ahead, and the troops began to pour out of the holes in her sides and down the gangways; but the barges failed to reach their proper stations. A gap was left between two of them which made it was impossible for the men to cross, and scores were shot down as they stood helpless on the uncompleted bridge.
Commander Unwin and Able Seaman Williams made a line fast to one of the drifting barges and, dropping over the side, waded through the water towing the barge towards a spit of rock that gave direct access to the shore. Midshipman Drewry, was already in the water wading ashore to secure the towing rope. In the meantime, Commander Unwin and Williams had nearly reached the rock with the barge in tow when they found the rope they had was not long enough. Drewry at once went back to the ship to get another length, and while the other two were waiting, Williams was shot as he stood breast-deep in the water. Unwin carried him back to the barge but Williams was already dead. When Drewry returned with the rope it did not take long to make the barge fast, and then the troops began at once to cross the bridge which remained under heavy fire.
A shot then severed the lashing rope, and again the barges went adrift. Midshipman Drewry was aboard the inshore barge, and was struck in the head by a fragment of shell. He hastily bound his wound with a soldier's scarf, and, jumping overboard with a line between his teeth, swam towards the other barge. Once again the rope was too short but Midshipman Malleson threw himself over the side with a longer rope and lashed the barges together. The rope broke a third time, and although Malleson tried twice more to connect the barges he was unsuccessful.
The King has been graciously pleased to approve of the grant of the Victoria Cross to Midshipman George Leslie Drewry, RNR for the conspicuous acts of bravery mentioned in the foregoing despatch.
Drewry later achieved the rank of Lieutenant but on 2nd August 1918 he was accidentally killed whilst on active service on HM Trawler William Jackson at Scapa Flow, Orkney Islands. A block fell from a derrick and fractured his skull. His body was carried south and buried in the City of London Cemetery, Manor Park. His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Imperial War Museum.
