Capt W D Drury-Lowe DSO


William Drury Drury-Lowe was the grandson of William Drury-Lowe, formerly Holden, who assumed the name and arms of Lowe in 1849 on inheriting Locko Park. His uncle was Lt-Gen Sir Drury Curzon Drury-Lowe who commanded the 17th Lancers at Ulundi in 1879 and the cavalry at Tel-el-Kebir in 1882.

Captain W D Drury-Lowe was born at 19 Portman Square, London, and educated at Eton. In February 1900 he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Grenadier Guards. He served with the 3rd Battalion in South Africa from 1901-1902. He succeeded his father to the Locko estates in 1906, and in July 1908 resigned from the army with the rank of Captain. Later he entered the Territorial Force and was an officer in the Royal Field Artillery. According to the DSO Book he commanded the 2nd Derbyshire Battery, 4th North Midland (Howitzer) Brigade of the Royal Field Artillery for 7 years and accompanied it to France as a major. In February 1915 he was appointed to command the 4th North Midland (Howitzer) Brigade but instead requested to rejoin his old Regiment; he was posted to the 1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards in 1916. He was so attached to his old Regiment that he dropped a rank from Major (brevet Lieutenant Colonel) to Captain. He was killed in action on the Somme in command of the King's Company, 1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards on 25 September 1916. His estates passed to his younger brother John A.E. Drury-Lowe. He married in 1902 the Hon. Hylda Harriet Marianne Sugden. There was no issue from this marriage.

Frederick Ponsonby's history says:

"As the King's Company advanced and took the third objective, its commander, Captain Drury-Lowe, was killed by a shell while he was consulting Captain Hargreaves of the Irish Guards. He had already gained the DSO in the artillery battery in which he had fought through the first years of the war, and would have no doubt have earned further distinction had he lived, for he was a man without fear and a worthy commander of the King's Company."


Regimental details | Soldiers


Armed Forces | Art and Culture | Articles | Biographies | Colonies | Discussion | Glossary | Home | Library | Links | Map Room | Sources and Media | Science and Technology | Search | Student Zone | Timelines | TV & Film | Wargames


by Stephen Luscombe