LEST WE FORGET
Pilot Officer Robert William DRURY
Service No: 207698
Born: 5 November 1914, Location unavailable
Enlisted in the RAAF: Date unavailable
Unit: No. 453 Squadron
Died: Injuries (from the loss of No. 453 Squadron Brewster Buffalo aircraft AN204), Kuala Lumpur, Malaya, 22 December 1941, Aged 27 Years
Buried: Taiping War Cemetery, Malaysia
CWGC Additional Information: Son of John Owen Drury and Bridget Thelma Drury; husband of Madeline Ada Drury, of Chester Hill, New South Wales, Australia.
Roll of Honour: Gladesville NSW
Remembered: Panel 105, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 15 August 1941, Pilot Officer Drury disembarked at Singapore from Australia. He was injured on air operations on 22 December 1941, and died later that day. AN204 was one of 12 Buffaloes scrambled to intercept a force of bombers and 15 escorting Zero fighters targeting Kuala Lumpur. The aircraft was damaged during the combat and Pilot Officer Drury was fatally injured in the resulting crash-landing.
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A9300, DRURY R W