Joseph Drain

[Jonathan Saunders]

In addition to John William Harrison remembered above,I will also be remembering 408 Trooper Joseph Drain of the Household Battalion.

The Household Battalion had embarked for France on 8th November 1916, joining the 10th Brigade in the 4th Division on the 17th of that month, the Battalion found themselves in trenches at Sailly-Saillisel in the Somme valley for Christmas.

His Company Sergeant wrote the following letter his parents in Rainham, Kent:

"B.E.F., France.

Dear Mrs Drain,

I expect you will be surprised to get a letter from me but I am writing to you in the hope that my letter will afford you some relief regarding your son, Joe. You are already aware, I hope, that he met his death on Christmas Day, by a shell bursting at his feet. I can truthfully say that he felt nothing and that death was instantaneous. I was not many yards away when the shell came, Joe and another man were together and they were both killed instantly. I had them buried together and I made a cross with their names and numbers, and the date on which they met their deaths, and I can assure you that they were buried decently by their own mates, all of whom wish me to express their deepest sympathy to you in the loss of your son and their chum, who was a good soldier and died a soldiers death. That you will be comforted is the hope of -

Yours sincerely,

F.A. Grans,

Sergeant, No 2 Company,

8th Platoon, Household Battalion".

The battlefield grave mentioned in Sergeant Grans letter was later obliterated by further shelling and Joseph Drain is commemorated on Pier 1A of the Thiepval Memorial on the Somme.

RIP Joe.