Commemorated: | |||
| 1. Memorial: | Portsmouth Naval Memorial | 30 Hampshire | |
| 2. Book: | The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918 | Pg.121 | |
| 3. Memorial: | The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour | 18B GQS | |
Awards & Titles: | Mentioned in Despatches | ||
Family :
Son of Charles and Jean Drew, of Plas Wilmot, Oswestry, Shropshire.Service Life:
Campaigns:
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: HM Submarine E14 |
Mike: HMS E14 was a British E class submarine built by Vickers, Barrow-in-Furness. She was laid down on 14 December 1912 and was commissioned on 18 November 1914. Her hull cost ?105,700. HMS E14 took part in an operation to penetrate the Sea of Marmara. She successfully dived beneath the minefields and broke into the Sea of Marmara on 27 April 1915. She quickly sank the Turkish gunboat Nurel Bahr, sinking 200 tons on 1 May. She then went on to damage the minelayer Peik I Shevket sinking 1014 tons in a torpedo attack. Upon her return, her captain, Lieutenant Commander Courtney Boyle received the Victoria Cross. Later in her career, her new captain, Lieutenant Commander G S White received posthumously a Victoria Cross for his actions in the Dardanelles. HMS E14 attacked a merchant ship on 28 January 1918. But one of her torpedoes prematurely exploded which damaged the submarine. She was forced to surface because of flooding but then came under coastal battery fire off Kum Kale. Then while attempting to beach safely, Lieutenant Commander G S White was killed by shellfire. HMS E14 sank but fortunately, nine of her crew survived but were taken prisoner. |
| Action : HMS Submarine E14, Sinking of |
In January 1918 HM Submarine E14 was ordered to go in pursuit of the Turkish battleship 'Goeben' which was reported to have run aground in the Dardanelles straits. The submarine negotiated passage of the straits successfully avoiding submarine nets and Turkish patrols. However, when they arrived at their destination they discovered the Goeben had gone. On the return journey they attacked a merchant ship, a target of opportunity. During the attack an explosion detonated, either the submarine hit a mine or the torpedo had exploded prematurely. The submarine was forced to surface and was then bombarded by shore batteries. Lieutenant Drew was on the bridge when the conning tower was hit. His body went overboard and was not recovered. For his part in the action Charles was mentioned in dispatches, the submarine commander, Lieutenant Commander White (CWGC)was awarded the Victoria Cross for his part.
Detail :
See also Men on the Gates.
Citations & Commemorations :
George is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial. He is also commemorated on the roll of honour for HMS Conway. He was a recipient of the Navy Medal.Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | Lodge of St Oswald No. 1124 E.C. | Shropshire |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
10th July 1916 | - | - |
Source :
The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:
- The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
- The (UK) National Archives
- Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
- ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry
Additional Source:
- Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
- Researcher : Bruce Littley