Museum Highlights - The Drake Family and The First World War
By Angel Drinkwater (Museum Assistant)
2024 marked the 110th anniversary of the start of The First World War, and 1914 was a year that would go on to impact the lives of many, especially those families who saw their men off to war. The Drakes, with their four sons, three of whom served with the 10th/11th Hussars, were one such family.
John Ramsay Drake was born in 1853, the fourth of five brothers. He would go on to marry Evangeline Lockhart Hughes, the daughter of Sir Alfred Hughes, 9th Baronet of East Bergholt, on 7th December 1881. The pair would go on to have five children, four of whom were boys. By 1910, John had become the Mayor of Hemel Hempstead.
A family photograph, believed to have been taken in 1912 before Robert’s departure for South Africa, provides a snapshot of life before the Great War. Behind their parents, from left to right, are Frederick Vanderstegen Drake (11th Hussars), John Hughes Drake (Northumberland Hussars), Francis Collingwood Drake (in the uniform of the Eton OTC), and Robert Flint Drake (10th Hussars).
John Hughes Drake was born on 10th August 1883. Like his younger brothers, he would be educated at Eton College, before joining the Northumberland Hussar. During the First World War he served with the Hertfordshire Yeomanry in France and Egypt, being awarded the Military Cross in 1917.
Frederick Vanderstegen Drake
Frederick Vanderstegen Drake was born on 1st June 1888. He initially joined John in the Northumberland Hussars in December 1907 but would be transferred to the 11th Hussars in December 1909, as a Second Lieutenant, before being promoted to Lieutenant in January 1913.
Frederick was the first of his brothers to land in France, arriving with the 11th on 16th August 1914. The Battle of Le Cateau on 26th August would be Frederick’s first engagement of the war. In the confusion of battle, he would find himself stranded behind enemy lines with only fifteen men. After waiting for the cover of darkness, Frederick led his men into the nearby village of Honnechy, where they almost immediately ran into a group of German officers. The Germans opened fire on them, hitting several of the men and forcing the rest to scatter. Frederick and his remaining men would then go on to meet a German barricade, which they were able to escape from after a hand-to-hand fight. Altogether nine men had managed to escape into a nearby wood. Frederick made the decision to split his party into pairs, as he believed this would be the best chance they had at returning to British lines undetected.
He gave the following account of his escape:
“First of all we tried to get across country and were caught up in barbed wire, and they turned two machine guns on us. They killed a lot of horses, but not too many men. We then fought our way on to the road which leads into the village of Honcourt. The village was held by the Germans, barricaded with machine guns, and, as we went into the village, we were being shot at from behind and in front, and there was barbed wire on both sides of the road. We galloped the barricade. I got my horse shot about 200 yards before I got to the barricade and was stunned a bit.
When I got up again, I found all the other fellows swarming on the barricade. I ‘joined in the hunt’, and eight others, and I eventually got out of the village on foot into a wood, where I divided the men into twos and told them the direction in which to go and left them, telling each pair to hide in different parts of the wood.
We spent two days and two nights in that wood, with the Germans absolutely around us, they were so near, in fact, that we could hear every word they said. The corporal, who was with me, poor chap, had a ‘cigarette’ cough, and I was in fear and trembling lest he should attract the attention of the Germans. Had he done so it would have been all over for us.
Leaving the wood by night, we pushed on to where we heard the English were – at Cambrai, but when we got there, we found they had left the day before. We then hid in a wine-cellar, and the Germans came and burnt down the house above us. We, however, escaped through a ventilator. We crawled out through the kitchen garden and hid in some wheat-sheaves for the rest of that day, at night we moved south, where we heard firing going on.
We averaged every night about twenty-five kilometres. We always marched by compass and always went absolutely plumb straight across country. Each day we hid in henhouses, outbuildings, or wherever we could, and marched by night. We found the inhabitants extremely nice. Wherever possible they gave us food – if the Germans had not taken it all.”
Frederick and another Corporal arrived at Boulogne the morning of 6th September 1914. They had spent two nights within yards of a German camp, before escaping into Saint-Leger. The Mayor lent them bicycles, on which they rode approximately 140km back to safety. Frederick would then return to the War Office in London.
Private Patrick Fowler was among those men who became separated alongside Frederick. Over four years later the pair would be reunited by an incredible coincidence, as it was Lieutenant Frederick Drake who recognised Fowler after he had been arrested for espionage by the 4th South African Infantry (South African Scottish) on 9th October 1918. Drake confirmed Private Fowler’s identity, and Fowler rejoined the 11th on 14th October.
“I think the exact date that I met Private Fowler was October 9th 1918. I place it at that date because I was at Advanced Cavalry Corps Headquarters and had been talking to my brother in the 10th Hussars, who had been wounded and was being taken down the road in an ambulance; and it was whilst walking up the Le Cateau road back to Advanced Corps Headquarters that I met Fowler being taken down the line under escort of two South African Scottish.
I identified him and gave him a chit saying that he was a Private of the 11th Hussars missing since August 1914… to me, the amazing part about the whole thing was the fact that at that particular time there must have been extremely few left who could possibly have identified him, and the fact I happened to be on the road when he was being marched down under escort probably only half-an-hour after the village had been captured, is really quite marvellous to think about.”
Robert Flint Drake
Robert ‘Bob’ Flint Drake, the third son, was born on 30th April 1892. He was educated at Eton like his brothers before him, before moving onto the Royal Military College Sandhurst. In September 1912, he would be commissioned into the 10th Hussars, joining the regiment in South Africa. He was described as a keen sportsman and a splendid whistler, featuring regularly at regimental concerts.
Upon the outbreak of war, the Regiment returned to England, leaving for France on 6th October 1914. They, with the 6th Cavalry Brigade, arrived in Belgium on 8th October.
The 10th were initially meant to take part in the defence of Antwerp, but this quickly became impossible, so they withdrew to Ypres. The 19th October saw the beginning of the First Battle of Ypres, and Robert served through the heavy fighting for the next month. Unfortunately, nearing the end of the battle he was struck by a highly explosive shell as he was taking his men to relieve some trenches. He died on 17th November aged just 22. Among the letters sent to his parents was the following, signed by all of his Troop:
“On behalf of the 3rd Troop, ‘B’ Squadron’s men, I write to offer you their deepest sympathy in your great loss. They one and all miss him very much. His death has proved to all how much he was liked by all; no sacrifice would be too big for any of them to bring him back amongst them again.”
Robert was buried in Ypres Town Cemetery, with his original grave marker being made by local carpenters. This is now in the Museum’s collection and shall be on display after the completion of the Museum’s refurbishment.
Frederick attended his brother’s funeral, having returned to France shortly beforehand. He was now attached to a Cavalry Signal Troop, with the regimental journal of October 1915 noting “Lieut. Drake is the Officer in charge of pigeons at the Cavalry Corps Signals”. He would remain attached to Signals for the remainder of the war, and by March 1918 he was commanding the Signals Squadron of the Cavalry Corps.
He was awarded the Military Cross in 1919, resigning from the Army in August the same year. He would go on to serve with the Auxiliary Air Force during the Second World War. He commanded the 910 (County of Essex) Balloon Squadron. He finished as Group Captain, still serving with Balloon Command.
Tragically, his son Robert Michael Drake, named after his uncle, was killed in 1943 whilst serving with the Grenadier Guards in Salerno, Italy.
Francis Collingwood Drake
The youngest brother was Francis Collingwood Drake, being born on 12th February 1897. Francis was just 17 at the outbreak of war and he idolised his brother Robert. On 13th January 1915 he started at RMC Sandhurst, and in May he was commissioned into the 10th Hussars, the same regiment as Robert. In February 1916 he joined the regiment overseas, and would go on to distinguish himself at the Battle of Monchy-Le-Preux in April 1917, where he was wounded.
Francis was awarded the Military Cross, with the citation reading:
“He organised and defended a detached post with great resource and ability despite heavy casualties. His cheerfulness and example under heavy fire were most marked.”
After a brief respite, he returned to the regiment in October 1917. He was once again wounded during the fierce fighitng at Honnechy on 9th October 1918.
Francis would go on to serve in the Second World War, being attached to the Corps of Military Police. In 1944 he was Deputy Provost Marshall to the 2nd Army, and was involved in the planning and execution of the Military Police and traffic control during and after the D-Day landings. For this work he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1945.
The Drake Family and HorsePower Museum
The Museum collection has several objects relating to the Drake family including a 10th Hussars shell harness, inherited by Francis from Robert. Alongside Robert’s grave marker are his sword, medals, memorial plaque, and busby.
In 2024 the Museum acquired the 1912 Pattern Cavalry sword of Frederick Drake to go alongside that of Robert. Currently being researched, it is believed to be a wartime replacement, purchased due to the loss of his original sword during his escape in August 1914, and used on his return overseas. The acquisition was made possible through a grant from the Victoria & Albert Museum Purchase Grant Fund, and the generosity of the grandchildren of Frederick and Francis Drake.
To complete the collection, the family have also kindly donated Francis’ sword to the Museum. This means that all three brothers can be displayed together for the first time. The swords and story of the Drake family are planned to be part of the refurbished First World War display once the museum re-opens. We express our thanks once more to the Drake family for their generosity and support of the Museum. We hope to welcome you to the Museum to see the exhibit soon.
