Job Henry Charles Drain VC (15 October 1895 – 26 July 1975) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...

forces.

Biography

Drain was born on 15 October 1895 in Barking, Essex. He was 18 years old, and a Driver in the 37th Battery,

Royal Field Artillery The Royal Field Artillery (RFA) of the British Army provided close artillery support for the infantry. It came into being when created as a distinct arm of the Royal Regiment of Artillery on 1 July 1899, serving alongside the other two arms of t ...

, British Army during the First World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.

Victoria Cross

On 26 August 1914 at Le Cateau, France, when a captain (

Douglas Reynolds Douglas Reynolds VC (20 September 1882 – 23 February 1916) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth force ...

) of the same battery was trying to recapture two guns, Driver Drain and another driver ( Frederick Luke) volunteered to help and gave great assistance in the eventual saving of one of the guns. At the time they were under heavy artillery and infantry fire from the enemy who were only away. He later achieved the rank of

Sergeant Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...

. He died on 26 July 1975.

Memorials

Drain was a resident of Barking, Essex. In autumn 2009, a statue of him was erected on Broadway, Barking. A blue heritage plaque was also erected at his last residence in Greatfields Road. His VC is on display in the Lord Ashcroft Gallery at the

Imperial War Museum Imperial War Museums (IWM) is a British national museum organisation with branches at five locations in England, three of which are in London. Founded as the Imperial War Museum in 1917, the museum was intended to record the civil and military ...

, London.

References

*'' Monuments to Courage'' (David Harvey, 1999) *'' The Register of the Victoria Cross'' (This England, 1997) *'' VCs of the First World War: 1914'' (Gerald Gliddon, 1994)

External links

Biography
''(Essex)'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Drain, Job Henry Charles 1895 births 1975 deaths People from Barking, London Royal Artillery soldiers British World War I recipients of the Victoria Cross British Army personnel of World War I British Army recipients of the Victoria Cross Military personnel from Essex Burials in Essex