SKELTON - IN - CLEVELAND
IN HISTORY
"WE WILL REMEMBER THEM"

Private DANIEL DRURY.

28888, 18th (Queen Mary's Own) Hussars

who died, age 28, on 22 April 1918.

Son of Mrs Catherine Louisa Drury, of 6, Harker St, Skelton-in-Cleveland, Yorks.


St Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen.

At the census of 1901 Daniel, aged 11, was living at 6 Harker St and had been born in Skelton.
His father, William, came from Scotton and was an Ironstone miner.
His mother came from Sussex.
He had two brothers, William 9, Walter 2mths and a sister Mary aged 13.

During the First World War, Commonwealth camps and hospitals were stationed on the southern outskirts of Rouen.
A base supply depot and the 3rd Echelon of General Headquarters were also established in the city.
Almost all of the hospitals at Rouen remained there for practically the whole of the war.
They included eight general, five stationary, one British Red Cross, one labour hospital, and No. 2 Convalescent Depot.
A number of the dead from these hospitals were buried in other cemeteries, but the great majority were taken to the city cemetery of St. Sever.


The 18th Hussars were a British Cavalry Regiment.
One of the first Divisions to move to France, the Cavalry Division remained on the Western Front throughout the war.
It took part in most of the major actions where cavalry were used as a mounted mobile force, but more usually where the troops were dismounted and effectively served as infantry.
Just prior to Daniels death the Battle of St Quentin took place.
The Germans attained superiority in numbers after the Russian withdrawal from the war and made a push in the Somme area.
It seems Daniel was badly wounded somewhere in this fighting and was taken back to a casualty station near Rouen, where he died.