DRURY, Ernest O'Brien
| Service Number: | QX4064 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 22 October 1939 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 2nd/9th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Hamilton, New Zealand, 10 March 1901 |
| Home Town: | Longreach, Longreach, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Station Overseer |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Tobruk, Libya, Egypt, 15 August 1941, aged 40 years |
| Cemetery: |
Tobruk War Cemetery, Tobruk, Libya |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Longreach Memorial Pool & Aquatic Centre, Longreach War Memorial |
World War 2 Service
| 3 Sep 1939: | Involvement Private, QX4064, 2nd/9th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 22 Oct 1939: | Enlisted | |
| 22 Oct 1939: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Private, QX4064, 2nd/9th Infantry Battalion | |
| 15 Aug 1941: | Involvement |
Detail on How He Was Killed
Barney is mentioned in a book called 'In the Footsteps of Ghosts' about the 2/9th Battalion in WW2, also on an ANZAC documentary.
He was a pipe smoker. On the evening of the day in question he was outside the camp with some others at night fixing something and went off to have a smoke. The Germans saw the smoke or the flare of his match and two of them were killed by shellfire.
Submitted 10 June 2020 by Clifford Allison
A Little about 'Barney' Drury
Ernest O'Brien de Courcy Drury was born on 10th March 1901, not 1906 as some records show. This must be correct as he is recorded as being aged 40 at the time of his death on 15th August 1941.
He was killed at Tobruk, where he is buried. The circumstances of his death are unknown.
Family sources indicate that he was widely known as 'Barney' Drury.
Submitted 9 May 2020 by Clifford Allison
Click images to start slideshow.