| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
John William Drew, 'Jack' to his family and friends, was born at Cherry Burton on 28 Oct 1888. He was the eldest son, and the fourth child of Tom Drew, a farm labourer, and his wife Hannah Maria Gee. Jack had three brothers and seven sisters.
On Census night, Sunday 2 Apr 1911, Jack was living at Cold Harbour Farm, Bishop Burton where he was employed by Daniel Dunning as a waggoner. He married Edith Lilian (Lily) Collingwood, the daughter of Robert and Annie Collingwood, on 13 Nov 1912 at All Saints' Church, Bishop Burton. He had been appointed farm foreman and a report of their marriage in the Hull Daily Mail said the couple were to reside at Westwood Gates.
John William Drew enlisted into the Army Service Corps on 31 Dec 1914 and was posted as a driver to the 19th Company, 23rd Divisional Transport, on 3 Feb 1915. An experienced horseman, Jack was promoted to acting corporal in the 1st Company, 23rd Divisional Transport on 2 Apr 1915. The Division disembarked in France on 25 Aug 1915 and was based initially at Tilques, (six kilometres north of St Omer), Pas de Calais. The 23rd Division took over the front line at Bois Grenier, near Armentieres, in May 1916 and remained there and in various other locations in Northern France before moving to Picardy when it was involved in a number of phases in the Battle of the Somme. In 1917 the Division moved to Flanders, taking part in the Battles of Messines and 3rd Ypres (Passchendaele). Then in Nov 1917 the Division transferred to northern Italy, ultimately fighting in the the concluding battles of the war there on the Asiago Plateau and at Vittorio Veneto. Jack was granted a month's home leave in Feb 1919 before being discharged to Class Z, Army Reserve on 14 Mar 1919. He was awarded the 1914-1915 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
Jack and Lily had two children, Hazel born 1920 and Edwin born 1922. After the war Jack worked for Mr Ellerington of Calais Farm. In 1939 the family lived at Church Side and in addition to his work on the farm, Jack served as a warden with the ARP.
Edith of Cold Harbour View died aged 84 in Jul 1974. John died in Apr 1976, aged 87. They are both buried in All Saints' Churchyard, Bishop Burton.
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |