William Drury, 1897 - 1988
William Drury (known to the family as Bill) was born in Loughborough on 11 November 1897, the first child of Tom and Lucy Drury. Father Tom Drury was a printers compositor for one of the towns printers and the family lived at 61 Station Street Loughborough.
William at the age of 3
His early years
in Loughborough are on the whole undocumented. Although it is thought that he
went to Cobden Street School. He began an electrical apprenticeship
at Loughborough College in 1911 completing his Loughborough Technical Institute examinations in 1914.
We know that Bill was also a member of the St Johns Ambulance, passing
his first aid examinations in the same year. By 1914 the family were
living in Devonshire
Square, which adjoins the Market Square in the heart of the town.
William worked
in the winding shop of the Brush Company in Loughborough until his
enlistment
in the army.
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The Brush Works, Loughborough |
St Johns Ambulance, Loughborough |
War broke out in August 1914 and William's father, although 41, enlisted in the September. William himself enlisted soon after, according to his own reminiscences on November 16 1914, he was just 17 years old and under age (although his army service number places his date of enlistment as June 1915). His service record has since been lost but it has been possible to piece together a record of his army service.
Click here to read about William's war service in more detail
He was assigned to D Company of the 2/5 Battalion the Leicestershire Regiment, part of the 177 Brigade, 59th Division. The 59th was a second line division that was stationed in the Luton area. They never actually saw any front line combat as a division before 1917, but instead were tasked with refilling the ranks of their first line sister division, the 46th (North Midland) Division, serving on the Western Front..
However, in April of 1916 the 117th Brigade of the 59th division was sent to Ireland to help put down the Easter Rising. They served in Dublin and the South West around Tralee and finally Fermoy, Cork.
William aged 21
The 59th Division was eventually sent to France in February of 1917 and served on the Somme. During the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line William is mentioned in the Battalion War Diary for his bravery and subsequent promotion to Lance Corporal.
Cutting from the Loughborough Herald, 1917
His Battalion also served at the Third Battle of Ypres from July to November 1917 as part of the XVIII Corps, Fifth Army. After the battle, the 2/5th Leicestershire Battalion was so depleted it was disbanded . William Drury was then transferred to the 11th Leicestershire Regiment, a Pioneer Battalion.
The 11th Leicesters
played a full part in the final push of the war until its end on Bill's 21st birthday
on 11th November 1918. He remained in the army for a few more months and was
in Germany for a brief time as part of the occupying forces south of Cologne.
He was finally demobilised at Catterick in April 1919.
On
his return home in 1919 Bill lived with his mother, sister and 2 year
old brother, Lyn, in Shepshed Leicestershire. Bill's father had been
killed in Pernes, France in July 1918 but his mother Lucy had already
met another man, widower James Dean. Lucy married James in April 1920
and the relationship between Bill and his stepfather was strained,
especially after his sister married Robert Keeling and moved out of the
family home in March 1921. In April Bill's little brother dies aged 4.
By this time the family had moved to Woodborough Road in Nottingham and
Bill had found work as an armature winder.
Between 1924 and 1927 Bill is living with his parents at Kildare Road.
He was 29 years of age and it was around this time that he met May Croome (formerly
Fowler). May left her husband William Croome in about 1925 and
this likely that Bill moved in with May who was living with her brother
Jack in Hutton Street. It was at Hutton Street that May gave birth to
their first child Mavis
in May 1928. Within months they had moved to Staines in Middlesex,
possibly to escape the scandal of May's divorce. Bill had been cited as
an adulterer in the divorce case. This was the start of the Great
Depression and it is likely that they also moved south in search of
work. May's divorce was finally granted on 12 May 1930 and the couple
wasted no time in getting married at Staines Register Office on 12 July
1930. Whilst in Croydon Bill worked as an electrician and May found work as a domestic in the flyers hostel at Croydon Aerodrome.
William and wife May
By
1933 Bill, May and Mavis returned to Nottingham to Overdale Road in
Sneinton staying with May's mother. In the same year she gave birth to
their second daughter, Sheila, and this may have been the reason for
their return. On their return to Nottingham Bill took up employment with
British Celanese at Spondon, where he remained until his retirement.
Sadly,
Sheila died before her second birthday. A few months later May gave
birth to twin girls, June and Jean. In 1936 the family moved to their
new council house in Deepdene Way and remained there most of their
lives.
Mavis
Drury |
Sheila Drury | |
 Jean Drury |
 June Drury |
Bill travelled each day from Cinderhill to Spondon for over 30. He
received a long service watch inscribed 'COURTAULDS LONG SERVICE AWARD W.DRURY
1963'. He was also a member of the Electricians Union for over 40 years. He
retired in August 1964.
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Rayon News, June 1964
William joined
the British Legion on 5 October 1970 and was an active member during his retiremen. He lived
out the majority of his retirement at his home in Deepdene Way and for over 50 years he also enjoyed a pint at the 'Cocked Hat' in Cinderhill, Nottingham.
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Bill with his sister Eva after his retirement |
The Cocked Hat, Broxtowe Lane, Nottingham
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Bill died in
Nottingham on 23 December 1988.
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