George Drewry

He swam through gunfire to secure a landing route for troops

George Leslie Drewry was born in Essex on 3 November 1894. Educated at Merchant Taylors’ School, he entered the Merchant Navy as an apprentice and later worked for P&O. He joined the Royal Naval Reserve in 1913 and was mobilised as a midshipman at the outbreak of the First World War.

At V Beach, Gallipoli, on 25 April 1915, Drewry helped secure the lighters intended to link the beached collier River Clyde with the shore. Turkish machine-gun and rifle fire swept the water. Although wounded in the head, he continued working with ropes and attempted to swim between the lighters. He remained engaged in the dangerous landing work over the following days.

Awarded the Victoria Cross, he resumed naval duties and advanced to lieutenant. In 1918 he commanded the trawler William Jackson. A falling derrick block caused fatal injuries at Scapa Flow in August 1918. He was 23 and was buried in the Cityof London Cemetery, Manor Park.

Victoria Cross citation: 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.

Second Supplement to The London Gazette of 13 August 1915. 16 August 1915, Numb. 29264, p. 8129