Albert Drew
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
Albert Edward was the son of Edward and Mary Drew (née Woodin). His mother Mary was born in Oundle, Northamptonshire, in about 1859, the daughter of William and Esther Woodin, and was living in Oundle with her parents at the time of the 1871 Census. Mary married Edward Drew at Mansfield St John the Evangelist in July 1882. They had two sons, Albert Edward b. 1884(A/M/J) and William Stephen b. 1886 d. 1888; both were born in East Kirkby and baptised at the parish church of St Wilfrid on 3 October 1886. Edward Drew died in 1887 and in 1891 his widow was living at Low Moor Road, Kirkby in Ashfield, with her son Albert (7) and daughter Elizabeth Seth Drew (2). Also in the household was a lodger, George Seth (b. Stamford 1862) who was still living with Mary in 1901 by which time the family was at 5 Byron Street, Kirkby in Ashfield. Mary and George had five children who were all born in East Kirkby. All the births were registered in the surname Drew: Elizabeth Seth b. 1889 (reg. J/F/M), Thomas Seth b. 1891, George Henry Seth b. 1893, Maud May Seth b. 1895 and Alfred Seth b. 1897. Mary and George were married at East Kirkby parish church in November 1905. By 1911, George (48) and Mary (50) were living at 48 Prospect Street, East Kirkby. In the home on the night of the census were: Albert (27) a coal miner, Elizabeth (22) employed at a tin works, Thomas (20) coal miner, George (18) a coal pit pony driver, Maud (16) who was also at a tin works and Alfred (14) an errand boy. Alfred died in 1917 aged 19. Mary and George were still living at 48 Prospect Street in 1916. Mary probably died in 1931. George was an inmate at the Workhouse (Poor Law) on Stockwell Gate, Mansfield in 1939 when the England and Wales Register was compiled. He died in 1941.
'A' Company 1st (Royal Marine) Bn. Royal Naval Division. See history below of the 3rd Royal Marine Brigade (November 1914 - August 1915) and the 2nd Naval Brigade (Aug. 1915-May/June 1916). Albert Drew joined the Sherwood Foresters (Notts & Derby Regiment) but transferred to the RMLI on 16 September 1914 on a short service engagement as one of 'Kitchener's Marines' (see information below). His RM record gave his date of birth as 5 May 1888, although he was born in 1884 (reg. A/M/J). Albert was therefore 32 years old when he died. He joined Chatham Battalion (MEF, Dardanelles) on 6 February 1915 and served in the battalion until 3 December 1915 when he was posted to the 8th Corps Mining Company. 'VIII Corps Mining Company was an improvised unit formed on Gallipoli, which had seen much activity against the Turks in the Helles area between mid-1915 and December of that year, when it was merged into the newly arrived 254th Tunnelling Company.' (Wikipedia). Albert rejoined the RMLI in the 1st (Royal Marine) Bn. on 7 January 1916 and served in France. He died of wounds (shell) at an Advanced Dressing Station on 6 June 1916 and is buried in Bully-Grenay Communal Cemetery French Extension, France (grave ref. B.7). CWGC - History of Bully-Grenay Communal Cemetery, French Extension (extract): Bully is approximately 20km from the town of Arras. 'Bully-Grenay is the name of the railway station (on the main Hazebrouck-Arras line) serving this village and Grenay, but the double name was generally applied to the village and the communal cemetery of Bully by the troops. The French Extension was made by French troops on the west side of the communal cemetery, and Commonwealth forces, who took their place in this part of the line in June 1915, buried in it until June 1916. The French extension contains 91 Commonwealth burials of the First World War.' (www.cwgc.org) Kitchener's Marines: Drew was one of 'Kitchener's Marines' who were transferred from the Sherwood Foresters to the RMLI. Des Turner notes '600 RMLI transfers came from 2 regiments - 200 from the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (KOYLI) and 400 from the Sherwood Foresters. They were predominantly ex-miners and labourers, fit men wanted for their ability to dig trenches and tunnels. The 200 KOYLI recruits were transferred to Plymouth Division RMLI and were given service numbers PLY/1(S) to PLY200(S). This was also the case for the Sherwood Foresters 200 who were dispatched to Portsmouth where already 30 men were recruited and so they became PO/31(S) to PO/230(S). 200 remaining Foresters went to Chatham and were numbered CH/1 to CH/200(S).' The 3rd Royal Marine Brigade (November 1914 - August 1915): ' The 3rd Royal Marine Brigade, renamed to conform with RND Brigade numbers, had a short life. The four RMLI Battalions [9th (Chatham) Battalion RMLI 10th (Portsmouth) Battalion RMLI 11th (Plymouth) Battalion RMLI and 12th (Deal) Battalion RMLI] formed the Brigade, but minus their number prefixes. After suffering crippling losses at ANZAC and Cape Helles (April-Aug. 1915), the four RMLI Battalions were amalgamated to form two new Royal Marine Battalions: The 1st Royal Marine Bn. (aka The 1st Bn. RMLI) - Chatham formed "A" & "B" Coys and Deal formed "C" & "D" Coys. The 2nd Royal Marine Bn. (aka The 2nd Bn. RMLI) - Portsmouth formed "A" & "B" Coys and Plymouth formed "C" & "D" Coys. Five days after the amalgamation of the four RMLI Bns. the 3rd Royal Marine Brigade was disbanded and the two new RM Battalions were brigaded with the Howe and Anson Battalions to form the new 2nd Naval Brigade (Aug. 1915-May/June 1916): 1st Royal Marine Bn, 2nd Royal Marine Bn. and Anson and Howe Battalions.’ There were further changes in the composition of the Royal Naval Division between July 1916 and 1918. (www.lightinfantryorg.uk)
RND Casualties of War record gave Albert's date of death, as recorded in the 1st (RM) Bn's war diary, as 5 June 1916 while CWGC cites 6 June. CWGC: 'Son of Mrs. M. Seth, of 48, Prospect St., East Kirkby, Lincoln (sic).' Mansfield Reporter, 23 June 1916: ‘Kirkby in Ashfield. Killed in action. News has been officially received that Private Drew, whose home is in Prospect-street, has been killed in action. The record of this family is a splendid one – the father, who is over 50 years of age, is at the front in France. Another son is in the Navy [Thomas], and a third has been discharged from the Marines.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk) Service details have been traced for George Seth, Thomas Seth Drew and George Seth Drew. George Seth attested in the Army Reserve (Special Reservists) on a one year engagement on 9 October 1913 (7670 Sherwood Foresters). He gave his age as 44 years 230 days, occupation labourer. He had previously served in the Militia (676, 3rd Bn Lincolnshire Regiment) enlisting in Cambridgeshire on 6 February 1884 and, according to his Army Reserve record, served for 10 years (time expired). George was discharged from the Army Reserve on 3 March 1915 on medical grounds, 'not likely to become an efficient soldier.' No other military records have yet been traced to show he was serving with the BEF France in 1916. Thomas Seth Drew joined the Royal Navy on a 12 year Short Service Engagement (5 years Royal Navy, 7 years Royal Fleet Reserve) as an Ordinary Seaman (SS4583) on 6 January 1914. His previous occupation was stallman (colliery). Thomas obtained his discharge by purchase (£10) on 4 February 1914. However, he re-entered the Royal Navy as a Stoker 2nd Class on 2 November 1915. No other Naval records have yet been traced. George Seth Drew attested in the Army Reserve (Special Reserve recruits and Special Reservists) enlisting into the Regular Army on a Short Service Engagement (duration of the war) at Mansfield on 31 December 1914. He was aged 21 years 210 days and a coal miner. George was posted to No. 1 Depot Royal Field Artillery (63618) but discharged medically unfit, 'not likely to become an efficient soldier,' on 19 January 1915 having served 20 days. No other military records traced. Alfred Seth Drew (b. 1897) died in 1917 (reg. Mansfield)
