The Washington times., 1915-09-15
BOY OF 70 A HERO
IN STRAITS ATTACK
Young Briton Wins V. c. as
Growing Feature Of Adven-
turouS Career.
BY WILBUR S. FORREST.

LONDON. Sept. (by maiD.-The type
Of men that are becoming national
exemplified today In the story OF the
adventurous career OF Midshipman
George l.. Drewry. OF London. who has
been decorated with the Victoria Cross
for valor at the Dardanelles.
Not yet Of age, Drewry's brief twenty
years have been packed with thrills
that rival the most romantic heroes OF
Marryats tales Of the sea. He has sail
cues from watery graves and has been
shipwrecked on a desert isle. but no
finer story of heroism has been told dur
Ing the war than his conduct while dis
embarking troops from the steamship
River Clyde off Gallipoli peninsula.
The young midshipman was placed IN
charge Of fat boat, at a; m. on the
Turks. From the side Of the River
Clyde. the vessel which was later run
ashore to facilitate the landing OF
soldiers from a hole cut out In its plates.
in the face of a furious fire. to beach
his craft where. with others. II would
act as a landing stage for the soldiers.
Behind him came the River Clyde. AS
the transport crunched It's bow on the
sandy shore, Drewry's lighter hit the
beach at her port bow. Jumping ashore
with hawser he secured the small craft
and went to the aid Of Captain Unwln.
who by this time had jumped into the
water in an effort to place another
lighter. Both. despite machine gun and
shrapnel. escaped death by inches. but
were unable at once to accomplish their
task. Drewry leaped aboard a lighter
and then into the water again to assist
a wounded soldier. He then threw away
his revolver. coat and hat and went
back to the aid Of the captain. Shortly
afterward bit of shrapnel struck the
youth on the head. knocking his down.
He was carried aboard the River Clyde.
his wound dressed. and he Immediately
rushed back to the aid Of Captain I'm
win. With a rope in his teeth he swan
to other lighters and fastened them to
the grounded craft. Twice he executed
this feat under sniping fire until rescued,
completely exhausted.
The story of Drewry's gallantly at the
Dardanelles drew the story of his other
adventures from his father and mother
age of sixteen. Joined the merchant ma
rine and was apprenticed aboard the
Indian Empire, a large London sailing
ship. An incident OF his first year at
the sea- He was rescued with difficulty.
This incident was nothing compared to
the adventure which befell him later.
While sailing around Cape Horn in the
vessel was wrecked on a desert island.
heavy sea literally washed the crew
into shallow bay. which was filled
with seaweed. Swimming and crawling
over tne NeBetaDle mass, the crew Sue
ceeded in reaching shore. For fourteen
days they sustained existence on edible
roots and shell fish and managed to
hold out until rescued by a Chilean man.
of-war.
After this in 1912, the youthful ad-
venturer returned to England and was
given an officers berth on a merchant
liner. Since then he has travelled all
over the world and happened to he in
Port Said In July. 1913. when he Joined
the Royal Naval Reserve as a midship-
man. In August. 1914. he was appoint ed
to II. NJ. s. Egmont. guardship at Malta
and later TO the torpedo gunboat Hus-
sar. Afterward he was transferred to
the transport River Clyde.
He will be twenty-one years Of age in
November