Francis Barry Drew CB

Francis Barry Drew was born in Limerick in 1825. He was commissioned as an ensign into the King’s Regiment on 23 May 1845. He reached the rank of lieutenant-colonel on 7 Mar 1877 and commanded the 2nd Battalion. He was promoted to colonel on 25 Oct 1878, served with the regiment In Afghanistan and commanded a brigade at the storming of Peiwar Kotal on 2 Dec 1878, for which he was appointed CB (Companion of the Order of the Bath). After 31 years with the regiment he exchanged to the 14th Prince of Wales’ Own Regiment on 14 Sep 1879 to command the 1st Battalion until his retirement in 1882.
He was married three times, first to Anne Charlotte Cator in Sep 1848 in Athlone, Co Westmeath, and secondly to Henrietta Catherine Hunter on 31 Aug 1854. His third and last wife was Adelaide Emma Tyrwhitt-Drake in 1867, the daughter of the Rev George Tyrwhitt-Drake. There were two children, Adelaide Barry Drew and Kathleen Barry Drew. Adelaide died some time after 1881. Major-General Francis Barry Drew died in May 1905 in Hampreston, Dorset. The photo of Colonel Drew was taken in 1878 at the start of the Afghan War.

Regimental Details | Commanding Officers